Entangled Destinies
by The Brightmore Sistas
Summary: Bella has died, Edward is forced to face eternity without her and to fulfill her dying wishes. Clary's mother awakens and gives life to her worst nightmare. Jace is her brother, and all dreams of them building a life together are shattered.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is our first attempt at FanFiction so please review and let us know what you think! Any reviews/suggestions are more than welcome :)**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing, all belong to the fantastic Cassandra Clare and Stephanie Meyer.**

Twilight and Mortal Instruments Crossover

Entangled Destinies Summary:

When Bella was attacked by James in the ballet studio, Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were too late to save her and to their horror, she died. Now Edward has an eternity to face life without her and to try and fulfill her dying wishes…

When Clary's mother finally awakens, she gives life to Clary's worst nightmare. Jace is her brother, and all dreams of them building a life together are shattered. Forced to move forward, she throws herself headfirst into her Shadowhunter training and eventually sets off on her own to find herself and the destiny she hopes is waiting for her.

A different twist on The Twilight Saga, contains City of Glass spoilers

Prologue

**Clary POV**

When she finally opened her eyes she looked at me and said my name.

"Clary," in a very quiet, dry crackling voice, "I've missed you so much".

She was looking at me and then at Jace. I gave her some water and she sat up. Not saying much, I knew she was probably wondering who he was, but I knew that once she got to know Jace, he would mean as much to her as he did to me. But the looks she was giving him were a bit strange, as though she was searching for something. Jace was about to leave the room to no doubt give us some privacy, when she cleared her throat and said.... "How did you do it?"

I was about to tell her all about the trip to Idris and into the City of Glass and how Magnus solved the mystery of the awakening spell….but I didn't get the chance. She said something else that left me utterly shocked.

"Clary", she said, "How did you find Jonathan? How did you find your brother?"

I looked around not sure what she was talking about. She must be confused. I definitely don't have a brother. I looked at Jace and then back at my mother then back to Jace. Still confused, I asked her what she was talking about and that is when she said that Jace was my brother, my own flesh and blood. I was speechless, left without a thought in my head to say.

"You never forget your own child's eyes, even if you are apart, you never forget, they burn a hole into your soul." she whispered.

Staring into Jace eyes, she told him about how Valentine told her that he had died, and to forget about him, but she never could. She told him how she cried for him day in and day out, and that he never left her memory.

"You're here, for the love of Angels," she said with a cry, "You're here!"

Then I remembered all the times I saw my mother crying secretly in her room, holding a box with the inscription "JC". The initials JC, did they stand for Jace, could this really be happening, I thought.

I was quiet and so was Jace. My mother looked so happy and tears were falling down her cheek. She went to grab for Jace to give him a hug, but in true Jace fashion, he just turned around and left the room, quicker than the blink of an eye. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move to go after him and I couldn't go to my mother either. I was just standing still when all of a sudden everything went black.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Edward POV**

"Bella, Bella, wait up, I am almost there, wait for me!" I yelled. I heard her giggle as we frolicked in the wind.

"Edward….Edward…" she said in a soft low voice.

"I'm here my love, wait up!" I sang, trying to keep up. She was very fast, very unBella like. Bella was never this graceful.

We were in the meadow, the breeze was blowing in the right direction for me to breath her in, all floral and sweetness mixed into one lovely package. She was never able to out run me but for some reason I couldn't catch her. She was almost in my grasp, I was almost able to grab her shoulder when she disappeared. Looking around, I couldn't see her and as a matter of fact, I really couldn't smell her. Where did she go? How was she here one minute then gone. I know she was here….I know she was here……

"Edward, Edward honey, you blacked out again, are you ok?" a familiar voice said.

It was Esme, my mother. I don't remember her being in the meadow. Then I opened my eyes and realized that I was in the music room on the floor.

"Did it happen again?" I asked. She nodded and didn't have to say anymore.

I was still in my nightmare, unfortunately for me; I will never wake up out of this nightmare. She was dead and so was I. The only difference was that I was an immortal vampire and she, well she was a human who died and I couldn't save her. My Bella, my beautiful, beautiful Bella, my love, my world, was gone and I couldn't do anything about it. No happy endings for Edward, no forever. I felt nothing but blackness.

**A/N: So here it is, we will update with the first chapter soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok so here's the first chapter! Hope you guys like it. **

**Disclaimer: We own nothing except for the plot line ideas!**

CHAPTER 1

**Edward POV**

Carlisle can't explain these black outs other than post traumatic stress from the loss of my Bella. He said that I will have to face the facts that she is gone and move on. I see the pain in his eyes, I know he loved Bella too, it might not have been the same way I loved Bella, but he loved her like a daughter, she was part of the family, my family. I knew Carlisle was trying to help but I don't think there is anything or anyone who can help. I am a lonely soul with no place to go.

It has been a year since her death and it still felt like it was a dream/nightmare. This was not reality. People don't have what Bella and I had and have it taken away. We were happy and together and then it was suddenly and brutally ripped away. All because of what I am. I might not have done the actual killing, but it was my species, James the most deadly tracker known to vampires, that killed her and I couldn't bring her back.

Thinking back on that day I still wonder, if I had gotten there sooner would it have made a difference. I knew Bella was special, she was different from other humans but I could never have imagined that she would be immune to my venom. I was confident that it would save her, even though I did not want her to become a vampire. We had plans to go to college after we got married and then take a couple of years off and then if she still wanted it, I would change her but the venom failed, she was immune…

**--**

_I didn't have to answer the phone to know what was happening. Alice was trying to warn me that James had out witted us and Bella was gone. How could I have been so naïve? This was always about the game, James was a tracker and Bella was his prey and I lead him right to her. Instinct kicked in and I started running, I was the fastest in the family and I knew the window of opportunity was closing. Alice's visions had a 30 minute delay from reality and I had to push myself like never before. I was going to save my Bella, if it was the last thing I did. Nothing else mattered but her. Alice had told me about the ballet studio on the corner of Locke and Main. The thought of James having his filthy hands on her, filled me with such rage, rage like a newborn, nothing was stopping me. As I approached the ballet studio, I heard Bella moan in agony; she was still alive. _

_Without thinking, I jumped through the window, glass shards and mirror pieces shot out like fireworks as I landed swiftly on my feet. Standing in a defensive crouch my eyes went directly to Bella on the floor, her still form not moving….._

"_Edward, it is so very nice of you to join us." He hissed hovering over Bella's broken bloody body admiring his handiwork. _

_She was so bruised and her bones were contorted in such an unnatural way, sticking out like bare branches on a tree. _

_But Bella was still alive... Her heartbeat sang to me "Thump …Thump… Thump…." mesmerizing me like a rhythmic tribal beat... She was a fighter…. _

_James caught me off guard, as he plowed into me with such force, knocking us both into the adjacent mirror. I have never met anyone as strong as James. Now he had me pinned up against the broken mirror, his grip tightening around my neck. Looking down I noticed that a metal shard from the casing around the mirrors was protruding out of my left side. Blood was pouring out like a raging waterfall. I didn't even feel it, I couldn't, not when Bella was in so much pain._

"_You're faster than the others… but not stronger," James taunted. "You should have heard the way Bella was screaming for you…..begging for you to come save her. Doesn't it just break your little heart, Edward?" _

_As those words stung me I pushed with all my might and was able to shove James off me and fling him towards the door. _

_I ran over to Bella scooping her up in my arms and making my way to the back door. James was fast, faster than me and curling his hands around my shoulder, he yanked me away from the door with one mighty tug. I hit the ground at such force that Bella flew out of my arms, her head smacking against the wooden rails against the walls. I was beaten._

"_How ironic, little Edward, I think you might have killed her," he said with a laugh. _

_James was hovering over me as he spat his last words before escaping through the door. "What a fun game, Edward, but don't be sad. You will find another toy, maybe one not as breakable, and then we can play again. I always keep my promises!"_

_I was making my way, sliding on my right side to be with my Bella. I still heard a faint heartbeat which meant I still had enough time to change her. My Bella and I were going to be together forever and I just needed to get to her. She was lying on the floor, gasping for air; she must have punctured her lung. Blood was spilling out of her but she was still fighting. _

"_Bella my love, I am so sorry I wasn't here fast enough. My love I have to ask you something and I need you to let me know if this is what you want." But I didn't even need to ask because she looked at me with those striking brown eyes._

"_I'm ready," she coughed. "I'm ready to spend forever with you. I love you Edward. I'm so glad that it is you that will change me."_

_So many emotions were racing through me from pain to joy and from fear to longing. I told her I loved her too and that this was going to hurt, but that I would be beside her throughout the change. She was ready; I could see it in her eyes. It wasn't until that moment, I realized that she was right, we belonged together, and she and I would spend eternity in each others arms. _

_I could sense that my family was almost to the ballet studio, but I didn't have time to wait for Carlisle. I had to change Bella myself. I knew what I had to do. I had watched Carlisle change Esme and Emmett, but part of me wondered if I could be able to stop myself. But deep down I knew I could, she was Bella, my Bella and she needed me and that was enough for me to stop. I would have the strength. _

_I lifted her hand to my lips, locking my eyes on hers. I took a steadying breath and sunk my teeth into her flesh. I heard her gasp of pain, but her blood was flowing down into my mouth, tasting so sweet and warm; it was like nothing I had tasted before. Feeling it course through my veins, singing to me, my body wanting more, it took every ounce of strength I possessed to stop. I stopped just in time, still able to feel her pulse. Looking at her, I knew any minute she would feel the scorching fire from the venom and I would be there to talk her through it. _

"_Edward, I feel so weak," she moaned._

"_Bella, love, do you feel the burning yet?"_

"_No, nothing, but the lights are starting to get really bright in here. They are hurting my eyes," she coughed, more blood coming out of her mouth. _

_Still nothing, what was happening? _

"_Edward!" a male voice shouted from behind._

"_Carlisle help, something is wrong!" I cried._

_Carlisle looked Bella over and assured me that I had done everything correctly. He went into doctor mode and began assessing her. Like I had thought, they were not good. She had lost too much blood. Her injuries were quite severe from the gash on her forehead, punctured lung, three cracked ribs, broken right leg and her arm was broken in two places. _

"_Edward," she whispered. "Please hold me in your arms, I want to feel you close to me," she whimpered faintly._

_As I held her in my arms, humming her lullaby, I kissed her softly on the forehead and cheeks and down to her lips. She was slipping away, slipping into a forever that I would never go to. I did not have a soul like Bella did; she would make her way to heaven. "Bella, I love you, please don't leave me, I can't do this without you." _

"_Edward, you know I am not going to make it. Promise me Edward! Promise me that you will move on." _

"_Bella I can't, you're the only one for me, don't you see?"_

"_Edward, please!" she cried and I could see that every breath was a struggle for her, how could I make her suffer any more than she already was?_

_Looking at her, my beautiful Bella, I nodded my head in agreement. I could see in her eyes that she was minutes away. I cupped her face into my hands, looking into her warm, loving brown eyes, I told her I loved her and then kissed her on her soft lips. She was kissing me back passionately, knowing that she was using her last bit of energy to give me this, something to hold on to. I felt her gasp and her body let go fully into my lap. My Bella was gone._

**--**

Shaking my memory away, I saw something moving from the corner of my eye. Focusing, I noticed something or I should say someone coming towards me.

"I figured this is where you would be", Alice said

Of course Alice knew where I was, she was psychic. And even if she wasn't, everyone knew where I was, I was with my Bella or at least at her grave. I felt somehow close to her here, more memories filled in my mind, good memories of us. I can't explain it. But, I wasn't the only one who visited. Well, there was her family, Charlie (her dad) and Renee (her mother), but I only got upset when Jacob came by. I should have understood why Jacob would need to visit her, he did love her too but she didn't choose him, she chose me and yet he still came by every week to say the same Quiluette ritual speech and leave a tribal wolf charm. How many of those does he own, I wondered. Sweet, sweet Bella had enough love in her heart for both of us so I guess I will just have to endure it.

"We all miss her." Alice said. "When was the last time you hunted? You look awful," she said with worry in her eyes.

Come to think of it, I don't remember when the last time was that I hunted. It seemed like a blur. I didn't feel like anything. I was a monster and I wanted to die. Starve myself until there was nothing left.

"Edward!" her voice more stern, "Losing Bella was hard enough, did you want the family to suffer more by losing you. Your family needs you." But that last part she didn't say out loud, I read it through her thoughts.

That was my gift; I was able to read everyone's mind, apart from Bella. I was able to keep my family safe, being able to have the upper hand when a human came too close to knowing our secret. That is how we survived; we moved from place to place staying for a handful of years then vanishing without a trace. With Alice being able to see the future, and myself being able to read minds we always had the advantage. But we weren't the only ones in the family with a special gift, Jasper, Alice's mate, was able to calm a room with just his mind. He had used this on me a lot in the past year. I was a real mess right after it happened. If it weren't for the both of them I would have killed myself, but I had a responsibility to my family and I would suffer alone, just as I had before I met Bella.

"Let's go hunting," I said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Clary POV**

When I came to I was exhausted and confused. How could Jace be my brother? Jace, the one who makes me feel so _alive_, the one whose kisses sent electric currents through my body, the one whose touch could make everything better. How could this be true? If I hadn't heard it from my own mother's mouth, I don't think I would have believed it. A wave of emotions went through me like a ton of bricks. My chest was heavy, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't speak, all I could do was stare, stare into my mothers eyes before I burst into tears. My life was over. I wanted to die.

My mother sat with me while I cried. I wouldn't speak, just cried, emptying my heart and soul onto the front of her shirt. She never pushed any conversations; we just sat on my bed with me in her arms. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that finally my mother was awake, that was the whole point of going to the City of Glass, but I never imagined what would happen when she finally woke up. Jace and I were at her bedside while Magnus performed the awakening spell. I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I missed my mothers voice, I missed her crazy antics but most of all I missed our time together. We were very close.

I assured my mother that nothing sexual went on between us; which by the sigh she let out when I told her, told me know that it was going to be fine. We would just distance ourselves from each other for a while.

I didn't see Jace for almost six months. He went back to stay with the Lightwoods and I stayed with my mom and Luke. We did talk on the phone, once a week and we came to an agreement that this was for the best and that we were siblings and time would help us through this. I started training with Luke and my mom in pursuit of becoming a well-seasoned Shadowhunter. With my powers in making new runes, it wouldn't be a waste. I didn't mind at all, it kept my mind busy. The training was intense but it seemed like my body was made for it. It almost came natural. At the end of each day, I was too physically exhausted to do much more than collapse in my bed. I surrounded myself with Isabelle and Simon on my time off from training. I asked how Jace was really doing, but Isabelle would only tell me he was fine and nothing more. I wanted to be responsible and rid myself of my feelings for Jace; I would do it for my family. I would suffer alone. I would not let anyone know how I felt. I knew in time I would overcome this and move on. I was strong.

One of my very rare days off found me lounging on the couch at Luke's house, my battered sketch book in my hand as I tried to distract myself from the thoughts that were plaguing me. I glanced down and realized that I had sketched a scene that I didn't recognize. It was a tall manor-like building that resembled a church, and was that a town square? I felt a strange pull to this place, but I only had time to wonder about it briefly as I heard by phone ringing in my jacket pocket and ran over to see who it was.

"Clary? It's me Simon. I thought that maybe we could go hangout at Magnus's bar tonight. Isabelle mentioned that both Jace and Alec were going and we thought that maybe we all could hang out, like old times?" he asked.

I decided that it was time I went back to living in the present world. If Jace felt it was ok and it didn't bother him, than I was ok with it too. Any normal sister should be able to hang out with her brother and not be weird, right? I told Simon that I would come, and he said that he would pick me up at 10:00 pm.

Suddenly I felt like I was going to throw up. I was finally going to see Jace. I was starting to get used to only hearing his voice, and now I was going to come face to face with him. My body felt numb but I was also excited. What if I could have a normal relationship with him? As I sat on my bed thinking about our final reunion, my cell phone was again making a familiar sound.

"Hello?" I answered.

The line was silent and I repeated my hello and still nothing. I looked at the caller ID and all it said was "private name".

"If you not going to say anything I am going to hang up," I shouted. Still nothing, so shrugging, I hung up the phone.

Sure enough, as soon as I hung up, the phone rang again. Glancing at the ID again told me it was the same "private name" so I picked up the phone on the second ring and shouted.

"Listen creep, I have more important things to do then listen to dead air," and then I hung up the phone immediately. Feeling good about myself, I jumped up and started making my way to the washroom to take a shower. Already I was running through my wardrobe choices, as I knew that Isabelle would be on hand to critique my selections.

Again, my phone started ringing, and again it read "private name". I picked up the phone and was about to shout something when I heard his husky voice.

"Clary, are you still there?" Jace said.

It was Jace. A million things went through my head. Jace was never nervous in talking with me. In fact he was usually really straightforward and blunt. What made this time so different? Was he thinking about tonight too? Was he worried? My stomach was fluttering and my heart was thumping at an increased rate. I wasn't sure what to say next. I placed my back against the wall and slid down until I reached the floor.

"Clary?" he questioned.

"Yes...hmm…sorry Jace, is everything ok?" was all I could come up with. I worried that my voice was shaky but I had to put that in the back of my mind. Jace had called and there seemed to be something up.

"Sorry I was having phone trouble; I guess you couldn't hear me," was his reply.

Of course Jace wouldn't be nervous. Why can't I just get over this? This is so stupid. Why did he have such a hold over me?

"Clary," he said calmingly, "I was just talking with Isabelle and she said that you were going to come and join us at Magnus's bar. I think that it is a great idea. I miss hanging out with you."

Hearing him say those words made my heart skip a beat, and it took a great effort for me not to give a triumphant shout out loud. I took a deep breath. "Absolutely Jace, I've missed you too," I replied hoping that my voice sounded strong and confident. After making the final plans to meet up at the bar, I ended the call and spent a few minutes trying to sort out my conflicting emotions. A part of me was reveling in the anticipation of the fact that I would be seeing Jace in less than an hour. The other part of me was screaming that my reactions were wrong, he was my brother and I needed to ignore the feelings of thrill that arised when I thought of him.

After spending considerable time debating what to wear, I finally settled on a casual pair of jeans and black tank top. Paired with a pair of ballet flats and a fitted black jacket, I was satisfied. I left my red curls loose around my shoulders and tried to tell myself that I wasn't doing it because I knew that it was the way that Jace preferred to see them. Summer still held the city in its clutches, making the choice of a jacket not the most sensible one, but I needed the pockets it provided to conceal my seraph blade and dagger. I told myself over and over that no prepared Shadowhunter could leave the house without weapons. Especially since we were heading to a favourite haunt of Magnus's and there was sure to be Downworlder's in residence.

With nothing left to do while I waited for Simon to arrive, I sat down on my bed to once again study the sketch that I had drawn earlier. I was still unable to explain the pull I felt towards a place that I had never seen before. I found myself wondering if I had visited it before but still hadn't retrieved the memory of it from when my mother had had Magnus Bane put a block on my memories. I made a mental note to ask her about it, and set the sketch aside. Hearing sounds from the kitchen, I quickly closed my bedroom door and went to investigate.

Simon had arrived, with Isabelle in tow. I raised my eyebrows at this; they certainly seemed to be spending more and more time together. I would have to grill him about that later. She was currently giving him a lecture on proper attire, causing Simon and I to do simultaneous eye rolls.

"I've been trying to tell him that now that he's a vampire, he needs to dress more the part. Enough with those lame band t-shirts-" she was saying, only to be cut off by Luke's shout of laughter.

"Lame band t-shirts are part of who Simon _is_, Isabelle," I said, giving her a reproachful look. Luke had walked over to Simon and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Not anymore!" she argued, "He's one of the Night Children now, the possibilities are endless. He should-" she was again cut off, this time by the entrance of my mother. She sent a sympathetic look to Simon before coming to stand beside me. It was still a shock to my system to see her up and walking around. She seemed to be scanning the room.

"Jace didn't come with you?" She asked, sounding disappointed. Her question was a snap back into reality for me. Jace, her son, my brother. "We are meeting him," I replied, my tone a little sharper than I had intended. I headed quickly for the door, my Shadowhunter speed coming in handy. Simon and Isabelle followed hastily in my wake.

The walk to the bar had been uneventful with Simon and Isabelle making senseless small talk ahead of me. I followed along listening to the click of Isabelle's heels on the pavement, it was always a wonder to me how she was able to walk such distances in such ridiculous shoes. Her whip was coiled around her wrist catching in the moonlight, and the flowing gold dress she wore sparkled in the streetlights drawing more than one admiring eye towards her, which I'm sure was her intention. Isabelle was nothing if not a creature of habit. I listened to their chatter with half an ear as I was lost mentally preparing myself to come face to face with Jace.

When we were about a block away from the bar, we passed another group of people. I found my eyes drawn and locked with a boy with eyes the most startling colour of blue. His gaze held mine for what must have only been seconds, but it was enough to unnerve me. Although there was more than enough room on the sidewalk for all of us, his arm brushed mine as we passed. I must have made a small gasp, because Simon suddenly fell back to walk beside me.

"Everything alright Clary?" he asked, glancing behind us at the retreating group. "Yes, I'm fine," I answered as we quickened our pace to catch up with the long-legged Isabelle. Things may not have worked out romantically for Simon and I, but we had been best friends for as long as I could remember and I knew that he would always be there for me no matter what the situation.

"Will Maia be there tonight?" I asked, looking up into his familiar brown eyes. "You better hope she's not there with her pack," Isabelle put in before Simon had a chance to answer. I looked at her quizzically before she continued. "Jace was spoiling for a fight earlier tonight and I wouldn't put it past him to be looking for some mischief to get into," she explained. Great, I thought, the last time Jace was in that sort of mood he had caused a lot of damage in a Downworlder bar.

We had gone a few more feet when we all came to a halt by a sudden shout of "Hey!" from behind us. We turned to see that the boy with the blue eyes had separated from his group of friends and was heading back towards us.

"You dropped this," he said to me. I noticed that he was about the same height as Jace and had longish blue-black hair and a long straight nose. I looked down and he was holding my dagger out to me. Stunned, I searched my pockets and found that I was indeed missing my dagger. A wave of embarrassment passed through me, what kind of Shadowhunter dropped one of her weapons and didn't even know it? My only saving grace was that Jace wasn't here to see my humiliation.

"Oh! Thanks," I said in a small voice taking the dagger back from him. His lips curved into a smile, and his hand held mine a little longer than was necessary. Simon noticed this and immediately took exception, snatching my hand out of the stranger's. "It was my pleasure," he said, winking at me before turning and heading off to rejoin his friends. Simon frowned after him. There wasn't much time to dwell on it, as Isabelle was growing impatient and shouting at us to hurry up.

Isabelle turned and seemed to almost fly down a set of steps, she moved so quickly. I started after her, taking in our surroundings. The steps lead to a long entryway, stopping at a large heavy looking wooden door. Peering at it I realized that there were words burned into the door. The elegant script was scrawled out in fiery letters that were disappearing and reappearing every few seconds. It took me a few times of watching this to make out the name: The Fiery Lizard. I giggled to myself, only Magnus could come up with a name like that for a bar. Isabelle paused at the door to send us a sassy look, and as she pulled open the doors we heard the unmistakable sounds of heavy trance music escaping from inside. Without another backward glance at us she disappeared inside. Simon and I started forward, our arms suddenly linked together, but my steps were much slower than Isabelle's.

Between the strange encounter with the boy on the street, and now the impending fight that Jace might start, I couldn't help the feeling of apprehension that came over me as we pulled open the heavy doors and stepped into the bar.

**A/N: We are already working on Chapter 2 and hopefully it will be up before long! Thanks for reading! ******

**Ari and B**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating! This chapter is setting the stage for some big events to come. Special thanks to sosayscrystal for being our fantastic Beta! Enjoy******

CHAPTER 2

**Clary POV**

If I had to choose only one word to describe Magnus Bane, I would choose epic. Given this, it was not hard for me to believe anything that I saw when I first set foot into The Fiery Lizard. From outside, the bar gave the appearance of being nothing more than a hole in the wall, but as with a lot of things that involved Magnus, things are rarely what they seem. It was two levels, with two wrought iron stair cases leading to the upper level. One was directly to our left and the other on our right.

There were two bars on each side of the room, each one seeming to stretch on and on and I found myself wondering if there _was_ a back of the place. Behind them, mirrors spread from floor to ceiling, making the space appear even larger. As we approached the bar closest to us, I noticed that there seemed to be numerous scuff marks all along the top, looking unmistakably like heel marks and for one horrifying moment I pictured scenes out of the movie Coyote Ugly and I hoped that I was safely hidden behind any piece of furniture available if an event like that started taking place.

"Not quite like Pandemonium is it?" Simon shouted to me, leaning an elbow on the bar.

"You got that right," I replied, still looking around. The entire middle of the bar was designated as a dance area and even at the early hour it was packed with people moving and writhing to the music. Instead of the customary round tables and chairs, there were couches and loungers haphazardly spread around. Long rectangular columns of velvety cloth hung around each section, offering privacy to those who desired it. I realized that Isabelle had yet to reappear, but I wasn't worried, she was a girl that knew how to handle herself in any situation. Simon had been scanning the room, but he suddenly stopped and pointed off towards a corner.

"Jace and Alec are here," he told me, leaning to me so that he could be heard over the thumping music. I followed his gaze and spotted Jace instantly. He looked dangerous dressed in all black, but that was no surprise. He was sprawled in some sort of a recliner, looking more like he belonged there than anyone in the room. His hand was on his shoulder; wait that wasn't right. It wasn't his hand on his shoulder, it was someone else's. I followed the hand up until it became an arm, and then realized that there was a girl hanging off him. Not just any girl, a _kelpie_ girl. She was beautiful, with long curling blond hair that seemed to have flowers and vines attached throughout. Her wings weren't concealed, but flowed behind her gracefully. She was pale and even from across the room I could make out the striking violet colour of her eyes. She leaned closer to him and whispered something in his ear that brought a smirk to his face. Simon nudged me and I forced myself to tear my gaze away.

"Want to go over there?" he asked, but I shook my head. There was nowhere in the world I wanted to be less than over there with Jace and that beautiful girl.

"Nah, let's get something to drink first," I said, but Simon raised his brows at me, and suddenly I felt very stupid. Of course he didn't want to get anything to drink. He was a vampire after all, and I doubted that blood would be on tonight's menu, Downworlder bar or not.

"Sorry Simon, I wasn't thinking. Let's check out the rest of the place and see if we can track down Isabelle." I said throwing him a sympathetic look. There was a sudden commotion farther down the bar that drew our attention, and we both watched fixated as a new bartender stepped out from behind a swinging door. Cheers and applause immediately rang out and we weren't left wondering why for long. Through the door came an unusually tall, muscular man with a shock of red orange hair, which reminded me strangely of a roaring fire, and eyes as black as coal. For a second I thought I saw patches of green scale-like areas on his skin, but I blinked and they were gone so I assumed I had just imagined it. One of the waitresses shouted out a drink order to him and he winked at her and immediately got to work. He moved like a blur behind the bar and before I knew what was happening, his long red, forked tongue whipped out of his mouth and slithered quickly towards me. I couldn't control my gasp and almost took an involuntary step back when his tongue simply wrapped around one of the martini glasses in front of me and snatched it away. Embarrassed at my reaction, I glanced up at Simon, but he was too absorbed in watching the scene before us to have noticed my slip-up.

"You're not afraid of reptiles are you pretty girl?" asked a voice close in my ear. Startled, I looked up into a pair of now familiar blue eyes. It was the boy that I had met on the street. He had a self satisfied smirk on his face that told me that he had been witness to my reaction to the bartender's tongue.

"Of course not," I answered automatically. I could feel a blush starting to creep up my neck. The boy winked, and reached his hand inside my jacket so quickly that I barely had the chance to swat him away. My effort was wasted though; he had seized my dagger and held it up between us. I stared wide-eyed into his eyes as he turned it from side to side, the tip of the blade catching in the light.

"I would think that someone who carries weapons like these is frightened of very little," he said with a knowing look. A sudden thought occurred to me, and I snatched my dagger back. His hand encircled my wrist before I could pull it completely away.

"Who are you?" I asked. A heart stopping grin flashed across his face, showcasing perfect, white teeth.

"My name is Sebastian. I'm a Shadowhunter just like you."

--

**Edward POV**

Once back home with my hunger successfully satisfied, I made my way to the music room. Playing the piano was always a release for me, it allowed me to escape from reality and become one with the music. Sliding my hand along the smooth flat surface, I travelled the length of the piano with feelings of mixed emotion, eventually sitting and staring at the keys. I hadn't been in the mood to play in quite a while but at that moment, I felt the need to be in there and to find the release I so desperately needed. After a few moments of indecision as to what to play, I settled on Bella's lullaby. Thoughts of Bella ran rampant through my mind. A montage of our life together flashed before my eyes and the sweetness of her smile lingered in front of me as I began playing, my fingers dancing on the keys and the sound of music filling the room. It was exhilarating. Succumbing to the rhythm, I pressed harder and moved faster over the keys, picking up the beat, I felt like I was flying, soaring through the clouds. Thinking of her laugh, her smile, her voice, intensified my urge to keep playing from song to song, I felt like I could play until my fingers turned numb. Suddenly, my mind shifted, and Carlisle's thoughts about how proud he was of me at this moment swam through my brain. He and Esme loved my playing. I was so caught up in the music that I didn't realize Carlisle had been leaning against the door frame, and I briefly wondered how long he had been standing there, I instantly stopped.

"Edward, please don't stop. Esme and I were just commenting on how lovely it is that you are playing again. Don't let me distract you," he pleaded with me.

I gave him a sideway smirk and reassured him that I had already been about to stop. In fact, I had some matters I wanted to discuss with him regarding the rash of murders and missing people reports in the Southern Italy region. I had been wondering what was going on over there. The Volturi were very protective of their area and never allowed such crimes to commence on their soil largely because of their fear of bringing attention to themselves. They had counted on their anonymity all these years to survive.

Standing up off the chair, I made my way over to Carlisle.

"Carlisle, have you heard anything regarding Italy? I was searching the papers as usual, and I noticed a few articles regarding missing people and unexplained murders. Have you heard from Aro?" I asked.

The look on Carlisle's face made me realize that he was unaware of this. I quickly dashed upstairs and grabbed the articles as well as my laptop to ensure we could review the most up to date information from local online newspapers.

While reading through paper after paper questions starting rising. What was the Volturi doing? From the description in the papers, most of them mentioned the cause of death as "unexplained drainage of blood and torn flesh." How could they let this happen? Carlisle thought we might be best to call a meeting or teleconference with all the vamp families to see what kind of information they held. I told him that I wanted to go for a walk to try and wrap my head around this for a bit, and for him to call me when he got a hold of everyone. He agreed and off I went.

Ofcourse the only place I could go to really clear my head was to Bella's grave. Starting out at a light run, it took me no time at all to reach her resting place. I had planted lavender and freesia in memory of her. It wasn't quite like her smell but close enough. Smelling the air, I tried to clear my head, but instead of smelling the sweet floral smell, I was hit with something foul. It was wet DOG. Jacob. Jacob must have been here not too long ago. I had to give it to him; he was just as persistent as I was in fighting to keep Bella's memory alive. But still I couldn't help but feel that he was up to something. All this time a strange feeling constantly haunted me and I knew sooner or later I would have to find out what it was. "Stupid dog, does he always have to ruin everything?" I shouted out with a laugh.

"Now Edward, that wasn't very nice, what have I done to you, well… at least in the last year," a voice from behind me snickered.

"Dog…I mean Jacob, what do you want?" I bit out at him.

"I shouldn't have to ask permission to be here, she was my friend too and I can come anytime I want," he smirked. "Unless…you want to do something about it!" he snarled and now he was standing in front of me with his face inches away from me.

"Jacob, you will get the fuck out of my face, if you know what's good for you," I shouted as I shoved at his chest.

"Do you honestly think you scare me leech? I can rip you apart with my bare hands," he roared.

"You mean paws," I said, with a laugh.

I should have known better than to antagonize him. I should have just walked away, that is what Bella would have wanted me to do, but I couldn't. With everything that had happened, I really wanted to hurt someone. And right now, I wanted to hurt Jacob. I could feel the vein in my temple pulsing, and I knew there was no backing down. Any moment now, he was going to phase…

--

**Carlisle POV**

"Carlisle!" Alice shouted. "Its Edward!"

"What is it Alice? What's wrong with Edward?" I asked, but she couldn't answer me as she was fully engulfed in her vision.

I scanned the room and watched my family anxiously, as we waited for Alice to return to her normal state. Emmett was pacing back and forth mumbling something to himself and punching the air with his oversized arms; Rose was painting her nails, and trying to decide on how to wear her hair; typical Rose, thinking only of herself. Jasper was right beside Alice, rubbing her back, trying to calm her, and Esme was looking at me, whispering something, but since I was scanning the room looking at everyone else, I missed what she had said, so instead I grabbed her hand tightly and kissed her on the forehead.

A shiver went through Alice as she was coming out of it. But by the look on her face I knew something was wrong. All Alice could spit out was "Edward…gravesite... vanished."

With that said the entire family sped out the door.

--

**Edward POV**

Jacob stepped back to give himself more room. It started with a low growl, and then his body jerked as his muscles rippled like a wave across his chest and down his back. Cracking his neck from side to side, he stared at me with his lip curved baring his teeth. "Do you know how long I have waited for this?"

Jacob's breathing was deep and heavy, almost like every breath hurt. His voice sounded more animal-like than human.

"Well then what are you waiting for _Mutt_," I said as we circled each other. "Are you afraid of the BIG, BAD BAT?" I taunted with a laugh.

I could see Jacob straining to stay focused, almost trying not to phase. I wondered why. The only thing we had in common was Bella, and now that she was gone I didn't see any reason why we couldn't finally give in to the impulse to fight. The hatred I was feeling inside was overwhelming, losing my Bella, being defeated by James and my own failures to keep Bella safe. I snapped!

Nostrils flaring, my eyes fixed on him I shouted "Maybe that is why Bella chose me instead of you, because I could make her experience things no dog like you ever could."

Yup that was it, that's all it took. I've never actually seen a shifter like Jacob phase.

"You stupid, filthy reeking bloodsucker," was all he said before he leaped into the air towards me. His eyes went instantly from brown to pitch black; his body exploded releasing the wolf encaged inside him. He landed in full wolf form, his massive jaws snapping and snarling inches away from me.

**A/N: Please review and let us know what you guys think so far! Chapter 3 is right around the corner…**

**Ari and B**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, we need to say a special thanks to alybee for being our first reviewer! We were so happy to get some feedback on this plot concept. **

**This is a long one, it needed to be to set the stage for what we have coming next for you!**

**As always, thanks to our Beta sosayscrystal…she rocks! (even if she does keep our books a little longer than necessary…lol lol)**

**DISCLAIMER: We wish we were Steph Meyer or Cassie Clare but we aren't and we own nothing but the crazy ideas in this story!**

CHAPTER 3

**Edward POV**

We both jumped in the air, simultaneous, and as we smashed into each other, shockwaves rippled across the ground. I went charging, grabbing Jacob and crushing his shoulder against the tree with a thunderous crack. Jacob huffed and readjusted himself and came at me with jaws snapping and bit down on my arm causing my jacket and shirt to rip open and expose my torn flesh, blood trickling down my arm.

"An arm for an arm," Jacob thought, chuckling in his mind.

I growled, bearing my teeth staring at Jacob. I was about to charge when a sudden flash went across my mind. I heard a faint voice say "_Edward_!" A voice I hadn't heard in a very long time. Bella, my Bella, she had called my name. Was I imagining things? Was that really her? I really didn't have time to question myself, Jacob came at me, but with my supernatural speed I was able to move out of the way just in time as he smashed into the tombstone beside me, crushing it into tiny pieces. Jacob shook his head back and forth.

"Stupid dog," I yelled, causing Jacob to howl in frustration while regaining his footing.

"I thought we were here to fight," I said cockily running up to him, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and tossing him against a nearby tombstone. His back leg came crashing down on a broken piece of stone, snapping it with a loud crunch.

With a flash another message came to me, "_Edward, please stop_!" I could sense the urgency in Bella's voice. "_You are better than this._"

Had I lost my mind? I wondered. Bella was dead. How could I hear her voice so clearly, as if she was standing in front of me? But it definitely was my Bella's sweet voice. Looking around scanning the area I didn't see anyone but…

_Smack!_ Jacob caught me off guard and grappled me to the ground. He stood on top of me. His jaws opened and a growl rose up from deep inside himself, his hot breath just inches away from my neck. If I moved an inch he would snap my neck. I stayed still, focusing on his mind, estimating his next move. Jacob cocked his head up staring at the side bushes.

Ha, this was my only chance. With Jacob distracted, I grabbed him by the neck and flung him off of me.

"_Edward, do this for me!_" Bella voice flashed, begging me to stop.

The ground started to vibrate and from a distance, I heard a strange sound, almost like horses galloping across a racetrack. As the sound and vibration got closer and closer and finally figured out what it was. The wolves were descending.

Now standing in front of us were six wolves. I had forgotten that the pack was telepathically connected when in wolf form. They knew, right from the beginning, what was happening and they came to help Jacob. Listening to their minds, their arguing and shouting was making it hard for me to read what their next thoughts were going to be. But I could make out Sam's voice, as he was the loudest and fiercest.

"Jacob, what do you think you're doing?" Sam mind shouted. "We have a treaty to protect!"

"Sam," Jacob's mind growled, "Edward started it!" Jacob was howling in protest as he was edging his way over to me, taunting me, wanting to finish what we started.

Sam, now looking first in my direction then back to Jacob said, "Just because the leech deserves it, doesn't mean it's right, now stand down, that's an order."

Looking at the pack, Sam told Leah, Quil and Seth to take Jacob to Emily's. He ordered Paul and Embry to stay with him.

With a whine, Jacob lowered his head, panting heavily; he limped over to the others. Jacob shot a glace in my direction, not saying anything but still the message was clear that this wasn't over. They leaped into the bush making their way to Emily's.

"And you Leech, I know you can hear me, we are not done here," he said to me, as he and the other remaining wolves vanished behind the bush, and reappeared in human form. Sam approached me, studying me with a hard look.

Carlisle and the rest of the family arrived just as Sam and I were two inches away from each other faces.

Carlisle immediately took charge by suggesting that everyone take a minute and calm down. Once everyone seemed to be cooled off, he tried to get to the bottom of what had been taking place before he arrived. "Could somebody please explain what is going on?"

Sam turned to Carlisle said stated "It's simple, Edward is a menace and he must leave before the treaty is broken."

"Edward is going through a tough time right now, I'm sure there is a good reason for his behavior." Carlisle said just before turning in my direction.

I always respected Carlisle and his views on our family life. He was full of compassion and always looked for the best in everyone. But since Bella's death, I was suffocating in a deep hole of self loathing, not sure how to get out. I had changed and now it was affecting my family.

"Yah, Edward why don't you tell your daddy dearest what really happened tonight. I'm sure they are all dying to know that their precious Edward isn't as perfect as they think." - Paul said sarcastically.

I shot over to Paul so that they were facing each other. "Why don't I show you how perfect I am?" I said grinning, showing just the tip of my razor sharp fangs.

Paul started to growl; I knew what was going to happen. He was about to leap into a phase, but Sam stepped into his path and grabbed his shoulder, sternly ordering him to stop.

"See Carlisle, Edward is a risk, he cannot be trusted. Either he leaves or we break the treaty and we hunt you all down!!" Sam exclaimed.

Listening to my family's thoughts was overwhelming. Each one of them was willing to break the treaty and declare war against the wolves for me. I couldn't believe how selfish I'd been. How could I have let myself get so caught up in rage?

"I'm sorry but last time I checked, we didn't follow orders from Mutts!" Emmett's deep voice bellowed. "Our family sticks together!"

I knew if I didn't say something soon all hell would break loose. The tension surrounding both groups was too intense.

"Carlisle, I'm leaving." I shouted. "I need to leave; staying here is only changing who I am. I will not be the cause for this family to go to war. I will get out of Forks and rebalance myself. This will be good for everyone."

"Where will you go son?" Esme asked

"I will go to Italy, to work with the Volturi, and figure out what is happening over there. They could use someone with my ability to track this hunter," I said.

"Sam, I want to make a compromise," Carlisle suggested. "Edward will leave tonight, like you had asked but there is a catch…Edward will be allowed to come back and visit his family when he feels he can control himself."

With that said, an agreement was made. I would leave tonight for Italy. But I could still see the worry in my family faces; all except Alice. She was in a trance, having another vision.

"Carlisle, I've seen it, Edward is safe in Italy," Alice's said putting her hand his shoulder.

Alice shot me a quick glance, looking at me with a puzzled look, almost like she was holding something back. Did she know something? Was I going to do something? But she too quickly returned her attention to Carlisle so that no one else noticed.

**___________________________________________________________________________________**

**CLARY POV**

I blinked at him a few times before his admission finally started to sink in. A Shadowhunter? What was he doing in New York? How had he known who I was? Was he there on official business or was this a vacation for him? I frowned, studying him. I wondered if he knew Jace and the others, would he stay at the Institute? I noticed that his grin was starting to spread and realized that I had been stupidly staring at him.

"You're a what?" I squeaked out. He shot me a look that could only be interpreted as condescending before replying.

"A Shadowhunter, you know one of the Nephilium, fighter of demons, protector of all things mundane. This is ringing a bell right?" He chuckled at the look on my face.

"Of course it is, I'm just surprised that's all," I said, not wanting to sound too naïve. I could feel Simon's eyes on us, so carefully I withdrew my wrist from Sebastian's hold and gave Simon's hand a reassuring squeeze. Sebastian turned his amused gaze to Simon, studying him, taking in his pale complexion. I started to panic when I saw that Simon was slightly baring his fangs and I hoped that Sebastian didn't notice. I knew the moment he realized that he was a vampire. His expression changed and he turned back to me and raised his eyebrows. I couldn't explain it, but I felt a strong connection with him, it was like something deep inside me recognized him. I had the annoying urge to explain Simon's situation.

"Well you certainly keep interesting company don't you, pretty girl?" The urge to explain vanished at his tone and was replaced with a burst of anger.

"Simon is my best friend and this _is _a Downworlder bar, in case you didn't notice," I replied indignantly. Sebastian took a step closer to me which had Simon tensing beside me.

"Best friends with a vampire huh? I knew there was something about you," he said quietly so only I could hear. He lifted a hand and tucked a curl of my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek. He opened his mouth to say something when—_SLAM _he seemed to fly from my side and was suddenly pressed up against the bar, an arm across his throat. It was Jace. He had materialized from nowhere and was now glaring at Sebastian. Alec hovered behind him, taking in the scene with a mixture of amusement and impatience.

"Keep your hands off her," Jace said in a hard voice. I was appalled and embarrassed all at once. I started towards Jace to pull him off Sebastian when I was stopped dead in my tracks. Sebastian had moved faster than lightening and had switched positions with Jace. Instead of appearing menacing as Jace had, his movements seemed almost lazy as he applied pressure on the arm at Jace's throat and leaned close to his face.

"Now not that I don't appreciate impressive movements like the one you just made, but do you want to explain why you've interrupted the lovely time I was having with the lady here?" Sebastian's tone was mocking, and Jace responded in like.

"Lovely time?" Jace echoed. "I wouldn't call groping a stranger a lovely time. And as far as impressive, trust me you're about to see much better movements from me." Before he'd even finished saying those words, he was moving. With a flick of his wrist, he had Sebastian's arm off his throat and was swinging his other arm up in a fist to deliver what was sure to be a stinging blow to Sebastian's face. Sebastian was ready for him though, and had already anticipated what his maneuver would be. He dodged and twisted so fast that Jace's fist met with nothing but air and in seconds the lines were drawn. Somehow, Sebastian, Simon and I had ended up standing across from Alec and a very, very angry looking Jace. I took a moment to be impressed with my own ability to recognize both of the Shadowhunter fighting skills that they had used before turning my attention back to the escalating situation.

"Uh Clary? We're attracting a lot of attention," Simon pointed out, gesturing around the bar. I looked around, and sure enough there were several pairs of eyes, as well as a few single eyes that I consciously chose to ignore, turned in our direction. Simon and I shared a look and words passed between us silently, deciding that he would take the first crack at diffusing the fight and I would be Plan B. He stepped between Jace and Sebastian, his intention to fend off any more attempts at violence. I caught Jace's incredulous look and knew that I was going to have to step in.

"Jace stop please, there's no point to any of this," I said, staring into his golden eyes. Jace huffed out his breath.

"Clary, he had his hands all over you. I--" Jace was cut off as Sebastian interrupted, waving his hand back and forth.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, Jace and Clary? _The_ Jace and Clary? I've heard stories about the two of you in Idris. Actually not just about the two of you, but about all of you and the way you faced down that Greater Demon and squared off with Valentine on his ship. Of course I should have guessed." He turned to face me. "You're Clary, impulsive and fiery haired," his description made me blush as he continued on. "You're Alec," he said pointing his finger at Alec. "Which means that your sister Isabelle must be around here somewhere, as the stories say that the three of you don't travel far from each other," his slightly bitter tone at his last comment contradicted the smile he had in place.

"Yes, well now that you've reminded all of us of our names, do you mind explaining who _you _are? And what you're doing in New York?" Jace retorted with a cocky shrug of his shoulders.

"Clary and I were doing just that before you happened along. My name is Sebastian, and as I'm sure you've guessed by now, I'm a Shadowhunter the same as you. I'm in New York to see to a few things with some friends," he explained. I didn't know why, but I felt there was a certain evasiveness in his answer. Jace must have agreed with me as I noticed his head was tilted slightly to the side as he studied Sebastian.

Before anyone could comment on Sebastian's explanations, there was an explosion of light all around us. Tiny glittering lights were flashing, and suddenly I could feel the room tilting and swirling. It was as though we were all trapped in an amusement park ride, the movements giving me that slightly nauseous feeling that always gave me such a thrill. Florescent spot lights appeared and began pinpointing different spots on the dance floor. Following them, I was surprised to see that the place was even more packed than it had been when we arrived and the anticipation of the crowd was infectious. Isabelle materialized beside me, bouncing up and down with glee.

"It's starting, it's starting!" she exclaimed.

"What's starting?" I asked, smiling back at her. She winked at me and grabbed my hand to pull me closer to the crowd. I watched mesmerized as the crowd parted to make a circle in the middle of the floor. There was a booming sound and I looked up just in time to see a spray of fireworks raining down all around us. I wasn't surprised at all when the floor started to shake and move and there was a blinding flash of white light. Magnus Bane shot up, riding a magnificent Unicorn, gray smoke swirling all around them, stopping only when they was levitating a few feet off the floor. His long green cloak floated behind him and his dark brown hair was sticking up in tufts everywhere. He was the High Warlock of Brooklyn and he looked every bit the part.

"Welcome, welcome my friends!" he called out, gesturing wildly with his arms. "We hope you've all enjoyed the entertainment of our one and only Marek, the Reptilian Bartender this evening!" Heads turned toward the bar as Marek grinned and shot his long tongue out in an artful display of circular motions before using it to snap up a pair of glasses to balance on the end and pour fiery liquid into each. Magnus nodded approvingly before moving on. "But now we are moving on to the main event, the spectacular spectacle, the mesmerizing talents of some very dear, dear friends of mine." Magnus's voice seemed to boom out louder and louder as he spoke, and at the end of his speech he made a grand show of leaping in the air into a somersault as he dismounted from the Unicorn, landing gracefully on his feet in the center of the ring of people surrounding him.

He raised his arms high above his head, sparks flying from the end of his fingertips. I watched the scene entranced; it was as though Magnus really was the Ring Leader of a circus; everything and everyone around him was captivated by his movements.

As soon as the sparks touched the ceiling they swirled apart, making what seemed to look like a large door. I had a brief moment to wonder if Magnus was opening a portal before 3 large cages began lowering themselves down into the bar... I squinted my eyes, I could just make out the outline of 3 men inside each cage, each spinning around and around and wearing what looked like pink, glittering loin cloths and nothing else. Blushing, I realized who the men were. Neil Patrick Harris, Wentworth Miller and Marc Jacobs were dancing inside cages. I chuckled to myself, wondering why I was surprised. Magnus was openly gay and of course this would be the type of entertainment that he would choose. I doubted that it was actually the actor's themselves that were performing for us, it was more likely that he had conjured the image of them up for his enjoyment.

Glancing behind me, I snuck a look at Alec. His eyes were wide as he watched the display, and a slow grin spread across his face. He caught me looking at him and then shot a sideways look at Jace, his grin disappearing. He looked embarrassed at being caught enjoying the show. I had found out a few months ago that Alec was gay, but it wasn't a topic that we discussed, especially since I had my suspicions that he had a great deal more than brotherly affection for Jace.

Sebastian's arm appeared around my shoulders and he drew me close to his side. I looked up at him and our eyes locked again. His other hand rose up to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger.

"New York certainly has some captivating attractions, now doesn't it?" he said to me and I had the distinct feeling that he was talking about more than the entertainment.

"If you knew Magnus better, you would not be surprised at all," I replied with a laugh. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jace throw us an angry look and then storm off, his long strides indicating that he was furious. I pulled out of Sebastian's grasp, feeling guilty. Simon came over and grabbed my hand then, dragging me off to the dance floor with Isabelle not far behind us. The music was different than what we were used to hearing at Pandemonium, but I was still able to keep up with the beat. Watching Simon, I realized that gone were his days of bouncing up and down to the music. Ever since he had been changed into a vampire, he had acquired a newfound grace which was paying off for him now as he and Isabelle were bumping and grinding all over the dance floor. Laughing and smiling, it felt good to let loose and enjoy this time with my friends. This kind of mindless fun was familiar to me, it took me back to a time where things were less complicated, a time when my biggest worry was how I was going to avoid poetry readings at Java Jones. Sebastian joined us, surprising me with his smooth moves. He caught my hand and twirled me in a circle, stopping me when I was pressed close to him.

"How will I find you again after tonight?" he asked me, spinning away from him. Puzzled, I raised my eyebrows. "Why do you need to see me, do you need help with something while you're here?" I asked, we never really had got a straight answer from him about his business in New York.

He smiled at me. "I don't need any help, but I very much would like to see more of you. I find you very _interesting_, Clary."

I didn't have any idea what he was talking about. "Won't you be staying at the Institute while you're here?" He smirked. "I'm not sure that would be such a wise idea, Clary," his eyes drifted across the room to where I was sure he was looking at Jace.

"But you're a Shadowhunter, the Clave has to offer sanctuary to you," I argued. Performing a trio of quick circles, he was back at my side.

"I have a feeling that Jace will be very motivated to find a way around that." There was a hard look in his eyes that vanished quickly as he looked back down at me. There seemed to be an underlying anger in his words, but I brushed it off, there was no reason for him to have those sorts of feelings towards Jace, or any of the Lightwoods for that matter, he didn't know them.

"You're worrying for nothing," I replied and offered him a smile as I made my way through the crowd back towards Simon and Isabelle, who were laughing and giggling, watching Magnus feed drinks to a flustered looking Wentworth Miller. A flutter of wings tickled my shoulder and I instinctively turned, in time to see the beautiful kelpie girl from earlier making her way across the dance floor to one of the privacy sections. I started turn away when I noticed a familiar blond head in front of her. Jace. She was following Jace to one of the private corners of the bar. Before I knew what I was doing, I was moving, bobbing and weaving through the crowd to keep them in my sight. A few feet ahead of me, I saw the girl give a toss of her head and then disappear behind one of the tapestries, snapping it shut behind her. I hesitated for only a moment before I continued on towards them.

Stopping near the opening, I took a deep breath. I could hear Jace's low murmuring voice, and feminine giggles that had me clenching my teeth. I raised a shaking hand and drew the tapestry back. I had to blink a few times to bring the scene before me into clear view. Jace was once again sprawled in a recliner, but this time he wasn't alone. The girl was seated atop him, her legs straddling his waist. His arms were tight around her, and their lips were locked together in a passionate embrace. His hands ran slowly up and down her back, and her hands travelled up to tangle in his hair. _Exactly as I had imagined doing myself over and over again._ Kissing. He was kissing another girl. I felt as though my heart was caught in a vice and being slowly and painfully squeezed. My legs turned to Jell-O and I was in serious jeopardy of having them give out on me. Several mental images hit me all at once, Jace sitting behind me at the Java Jones, smirking as I realized I was the only one that could see him, the first time he kissed me in the hallway outside my room at the Institute, riding a flying motorcycle with him over the streets of New York as he shouted to me to hold on as we rushed towards the ground at a neck-breaking pace. I let out the breath I had been holding, ending in a small gasp. Jace, having ears like a cat, heard me and broke off the kiss. Our eyes locked, his showing surprise. Turning, I started to stumble away as quickly as I could on my Jell-O filled legs.

"Clary!" I heard him call behind me, but I didn't stop. More images were coming to me now, Jace standing in front of me as we faced down the Greater Demon at Madame Dorothea's, the way he whispered my name as I freed him from the cell in the City of Bones, and the way he looked at me when my mother said the word "brother," to us only a few weeks before. Brother. He was my brother and it was time that I faced it. A hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around. Jace. My unstable legs couldn't handle such a quick action, and I would have fallen to the ground if he hadn't caught me by the tops of my arms and steadied me.

"What's wrong with you?" he blurted out, his gold eyes glaring into mine. _What was wrong with me?_ What was wrong with _him_? I still had some pride left, however, so I plastered a smile on my face and shrugged.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. I wasn't aware that this was the sort of place that things like the show you were putting on happened behind curtains," I hoped my voice didn't shake as I said those words. Jace frowned.

"I was putting on a show? What about you? Letting a stranger paw you is appropriate behavior?" he shot back, spreading his arms wide.

"Paw me?" I squeaked out, my anger rising. "He was not pawing me, we were dancing, you asshat." His eyebrows shot up at that and I knew that I had succeeded in making him even angrier.

"Asshat? _I'm_ the asshat? This guy appears out of nowhere and picks a fight with me and I'm the asshat. Perfect." I didn't say anything, just continued to glare. After a minute, he sighed. "Look, there's no point in arguing. But I'll be damned if my _little_ sister is going to be acting like that in front of me. You're a Shadowhunter now and…" I tuned out the rest of his words. All I kept hearing over and over was little sister, little sister. That's all that I would ever be to him now. Just his little sister. My throat started to close and I fought hard to keep the tears back.

"You're right Jace, thanks for clearing all this up. I'm sorry for ruining your evening." I rushed the words out and then turned on my heel and sped away, without waiting for a reply.

I felt as though my world was crashing down around me and I wished desperately for the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Brother and sister, brother and sister. I felt like such a fool for displaying all my emotions the way that I did. I was breathing in rapid breaths and I knew that I needed to escape. I was barely paying attention to where I was going, elbowing my way through the crowd. I started to veer off towards the bathroom for a few minutes of privacy, but I spotted Alec, Simon and Isabelle near the entrance. I wanted to avoid explaining myself to them, so I changed course and headed to the stairs instead. I dashed up to the second level, finding a quiet corner to lose myself.

I drew my stele from my pocket, twirling it idly in my fingers. I watched the crowd below with disinterest. Just a few minutes ago I had been part of that crowd, laughing and enjoying life. I watched Simon and Isabelle and Alec dancing together, their smiles lighting up their faces. Magnus was in his element holding court off to the side, allowing a few people at a time inside the cages with the dancers. Every now and then he would appear at a different cage and enjoy a few minutes of dancing himself before returning to the crowd to mingle and be the center of attention. Jace, well Jace was Jace. I picked him out of the crowd easily, he was with the girl again, his arm slung around her shoulder. His smile may have seemed forced, but they fit together well and he was making no effort to stop her from pressing herself more possessively against him. Everyone had a place here, but me. I felt as though I had no purpose here. Suddenly, the sketch that I had drawn earlier appeared in my mind. I thought about it for a few minutes, trying to figure out where the place was that I had drawn. The answer came to me in a flash and I knew what I had to do.

I gripped my stele in my hand, and cast a quick look around as I began to work. I imagine the door and began to draw the Portal rune that I had learned. I cleared my mind and let the images slide in, concentrating until my hand was moving and the rune was complete. Simple yet complicated. The lines glowed a faint white and I knew that it was ready. I began focusing on bringing the sketch back to my mind, I needed to focus intently on it if the Portal was going to work.

I felt a click inside me and I knew I was successful. Just as I started to step forward, I heard noise behind me. Turning, I caught a glimpse of Sebastian's face and heard him shout, "Clary no!"

I smiled softly and stepped forward into the Portal, allowing the blackness to surround me.

**A/N: Please review! This was a tough one for us and we would love to know what everyone thinks!! **

**Ari and B**




	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First, we want to say thank you to everyone that reviewed our story and added us to your favourites! You give us the motivation to keep going! We are so sorry that this took us to update, but this was a tough chapter for us – a lot happens! As always, special shout out to our Beta **

**sosayscrystal – she is super! :) **

**DISCLAIMER: We met the fantastic Cassie Clare at a book signing in Toronto and we will never own anything of hers except for her books! Haven't met Stephanie Meyer yet, and we own nothing but her books either! **

**CHAPTER 4**

**Clary POV**

When I finally opened my eyes, I was met with a dull throbbing pain in the back of my head. Grimacing, I rubbed the sore spot to ease the ache. The room was shadowed in darkness but I could faintly make out the outline of four walls that framed the room. _Where was I?_ I thought as I sat up. I was lying on a soft, plump mattress in what appeared to be a bedroom. Scanning the room, I noticed it had a shelf full of books, a desk, and a nightstand with a lamp. Perfect, I thought. Let's see what this place looks like with some light. Before I could turn the lamp on, a surging and almost pulsing pressure washed over me, filling my head. _What have you gotten yourself into now Clary?_ I wondered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was missing something. How did I end up in this room? I concentrated, trying to remember how I got here, but all I was drawing was a blank.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something else. Something frightening; I wasn't alone in this strange room. A burst of fear rushed over me. Someone was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, staring at with me glowing eyes. I straightened my back as I reached into my jacket to grasp my dagger, but my pocket was empty. My heart rate quickened and goosebumps covered my entire body. Deciding that I needed to see what I was up against, I reached over and turned on the lamp. There he was, a breathtakingly handsome, mysterious man, standing with his arms across his chest, completely motionless.

My eyes darted across his prominent features, starting from his shaggy, messy hair, (which was darker than Jace's but just as irresistible). He had enticing golden eyes, a straight nose, and what I would call "Jace lips", the most mouth-watering and kissable lips you could ever imagine. I sighed, and looked away from his face, letting my eyes roam over the rest of him. He was tall, not quite as tall as Jace, but he was still taller than me. He was lean, yet I could see the hard muscles through the thin shirt he wore. The only thing that looked out of place was his pale complexion. It reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I was so enthralled by his beauty that I had forgotten why I was so scared. He looked pretty harmless, yet why was I here? I relaxed my tense back muscles, placed my feet on the floor and stood up. We both stared at each other, not moving an inch. In fact, as I studied him further, I didn't notice him breathing at all. His chest wasn't rising and no breath escaped his lips. How could he be holding his breath for so long? I tried to smile at him to ease the situation and he responded with a crooked smile of his own, revealing his teeth; _but they weren't teeth like mine_. Flashes of Simon and Raphael came rushing over me. The resemblance was similar but there was a certain uniqueness about him unlike anything I had ever seen before. My breath stopped short; he was no man at all, he was a _VAMPIRE._

**Edward POV**

"_Fantastico," _the woman's voice echoed in my mind. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Although it may sound conceited to admit, I was used to this reaction from females. The attractive blond offered me a shy smile that contradicted her naughty thoughts as she passed me on the street. I ignored her, but her bold thoughts followed me as I quickened my pace in the opposite direction.

Once I was clear of her line of vision, I turned on the full power of my supernatural speed and was back at my modest two bedroom apartment in a flash. I slid the key into the lock soundlessly; feeling a sense of relief as I entered my space and shut out the outside world with a quiet click of the door. It was an open concept space, with the front door leading into a small living room area, and the kitchen located off to the right. There were two fully furnished bedrooms, which was of little concern to me since I had no use for them. For the time being, the first bedroom was serving as an office, and was covered with scattered papers, photographs, and other pieces of information I had collected on the strange occurrences that had been taking place in the city. The furnishings were far from what I was used to at my home in Fork's, but it made no difference to me as belongings and possessions had ceased to hold any meaning to me since the day I had lost the only thing I loved most in the world. Bella. Still, I had to be grateful to Carlisle and his connections for securing this place for me without delay. I imagined it had cost a pretty penny to have the previous family vacate so quickly, leaving their personal belongings behind.

I headed over to the large window that offered me a breathtaking view of the sunrise over Volterra. I had a light-headed feeling and knew that I would not be able to put off hunting for much longer. A part of me welcomed the assault of pain brought on from the hunger. It was a more than suitable punishment for costing Bella her life. Without Alice around to browbeat me into hunting, I had been pushing my limits. I was hunting only when absolutely necessary. I knew it was a risk putting off the hunt, and it made the smell of human blood that much more appealing to me; but I had experience in resisting the allure, and satisfying myself only on the blood of animals. There was a small but populated forest on the outskirts of the city that I had found, and I knew that I would be paying the wildlife there a visit before the week was out. Rubbing my forehead, I replayed the week's events since my arrival in Italy.

I had only been in Volterra for three weeks, but I still found myself frustrated by my lack of progress with the mystery surrounding the city. I had spent hours examining old newspaper articles, trying to determine what facts were being kept under wraps by the local _polizia, _but I wasn't having much luck. The details were vague, saying only that authorities were baffled by the sudden disappearances, and that they were pleading for any and all leads to be brought to their attention as soon as possible. I smirked at this. In all of my years mingling with humans, one thing that I had learned was that they tended to keep information to themselves. It was as though they thought it was better to stay silent and invisible than to attract any unwanted attention. Fortunately for me, I had my own ways of discovering things that many wanted to keep hidden. Between reading minds and searching various crime scenes unnoticed, I had managed to come up with a few key pieces of evidence. No bodies had been discovered in any of the cases, and from what I was able to read in other people's thoughts, the authorities were leaning more towards the disappearances being more likely to be rebellious runaways since most of the victims were young male and female teenagers. It was only the obvious evidence of foul play at the scenes that was giving them pause in the runaway theory. Many of the _polizia_, including veteran officials were baffled by what they had found, the large amounts of blood, and the destruction left behind was not the type of vandalism that was common in Volterra.

Running over this information in my mind brought a small smile to my face. Of course, anyone that had seen the things that I had, or was what I am, could have told them that their theory of the cases being runaways was ridiculous. Being a vampire afforded me an inside view on these types of things. Runaways didn't typically leave behind a wake of destruction or mass amounts of blood. Thinking of blood made my insides contract painfully, which I ignored. Pushing aside all thoughts of hunting, I reminded myself to focus on what I needed to accomplish. It was clear to me now that no species of mine could have been responsible for the trouble here in the city. As a whole, vampires were known to crave and consume human blood, not leave it behind as a trail for others to find. Nothing about any of it made sense.

I stared out across the city, watching the locals as they went about their everyday business, darting from market to market; pausing to exchange a quick word with an _amico_. Watching these interactions made me long for my family. I had kept my contact with them minimal, returning calls only when Alice's voicemails reached the red alert level. Thinking of my family had started something niggling at the back of my mind. I recalled a conversation a few months back that I had with Carlisle about some rumblings he had heard about some sort of an otherworldly uprising. At the time, I was so captivated with Bella that I had barely paid attention to him, brushing off his concerns as inconsequential. I regretted it now as I wondered if it could be related to what was happening here. I realized I was slowly running out of options and that the time to pay a visit to the Volturi was fast approaching.

I began plotting out the best strategy to approach them in hopes to obtain their assistance. A sense of failure and then seething anger suddenly washed over me. I had needed to do this on my own, proving to myself that I still had a purpose in existing now that Bella was gone. I had come all the way here, only to discover that I was going to have to offer myself to the Volturi after all, and then stand idly by and hope that they would allow me to assist them in putting a stop to the mysterious disappearances. Maybe it wasn't worth it. Maybe I should have been searching for a way to get them to end my existence instead, I thought. I had heard about the brutal action they could and would take if they thought that they or any member of our race was facing the threat of exposure. Maybe if I…

_Don't even think about it, Edward. _I didn't finish my thought as I was suddenly listening to Bella's sweet voice in my head. I blinked and tried to focus, the sound of her voice sent me reeling. My head spun and my heart twisted as though it was caught in a fist that was slowly squeezing tightly closed.

_You can't sacrifice yourself to the Volturi, you are too important! I will never forgive you! Do you want to spend an eternity knowing that you've disappointed me? _I shook my head; leave it to Bella to come up with the most ridiculous reasons to get me to see her point of view. I sighed. Even though she was gone, I still couldn't deny her anything she wanted. If this would make her happy, wherever she was, the least I could do was comply with her wishes. My visit to the Volturi would be strictly business.

_Thank you, Edward. _Hearing those words sent me into a rage. She shouldn't be thanking me for anything! I was the reason that she had lost her life. I was the one that had failed to protect her. She was kind and beautiful and innocent; and because of me, she was gone. She was gone from this world forever. Guilt filled me as her face swam before me, her brown eyes haunting me. Suddenly the apartment was too small for me, the walls were closing in and I was lost to the rage. Seeing red everywhere I turned. Spinning on my heel, I sped towards the door, nearly tearing it from the hinges in my race to get out. I had no clear destination in mind; I used my full speed to flash by the pedestrians on the street. No one was the wiser that I was even there. Hunger was pressing in on me, I had to hunt, and I had to hunt now.

Years of self control was the only thing that stopped me from taking possession of one of the locals wandering the streets. The rage was in full force now, and I couldn't remember ever feeling so violent. The breathtaking buildings and charming cottages were lost on me as I worked my way through the city. I tried to focus my thoughts on the others around me so I didn't inadvertently ruffle someone's hair as I passed. In mere minutes I found myself approaching the rolling hills not far outside the city. I continued as the hills opened up into a clearing, lined with trees. Slowing my pace, I strained my ears, listening for the heartbeats of any nearby wildlife. At first there was nothing, which drove my frustration even higher. I began walking towards the sounds of running water, hoping to catch an animal unawares.

_Ah, there we are, _I thought after a few minutes of stalking. I could just make out a faint heartbeat, and immediately turned in the direction of the sound. A _camoscio_ was lifting his head from the far side of a slow running river and beginning to retreat into the cover of the trees. Quicker than lightning, I was at the animal's side, winding one arm around its neck and using the other to encircle its torso. It let out a small squeal and I could feel its muscles quiver as it fought to gain back it`s freedom. Even in my rage, I couldn't bear to cause the animal any more pain than what was necessary, so ducking around its antlers, I savagely sunk my teeth into the base of the throat, opening the veins and relishing in the feeling of the warm blood flowing into my mouth. The _camoscio_ twitched and squirmed beneath me, I was in a frenzy to feed as I sank my teeth deeper, draining the animal of its lifeblood as quickly as I could.

Before I could drop the lifeless animal to the ground, I heard the sound of running feet. Turning, I spotted a girl with long, curling red hair running across the clearing. She was amazingly fast, her focus so determined that she didn't spot me at all. Quickly I dropped the _camoscio_ and tried to see what she was chasing. Seeing nothing in front of her, I decided that perhaps she was out for a run and had just simply chosen a remote area for such an activity. Shrugging dismissively, I turned back to hide the evidence of my meal when I heard it. Wings. Loud flapping wings. Slowly I lifted my head and looked up in time to see a large creature swoop out of the air towards the girl. It looked human, but also inhuman at the same time. If I didn't know better I would have said that it had the features of a feline, with pointed ears and almond shaped eyes. I wasn't close enough to see if there were whiskers but I wouldn't have been surprised if there was. It didn't make any sense. But then again, it also didn't make any sense for a human to be sprouting large, black feathered wings and chasing a girl across the countryside.

I began to run towards them, but the creature was closing the distance between itself and the girl very quickly now and I knew that I wouldn't reach her in time to help.

"Hey! Watch out!" I yelled to her, trying to warn her of the incoming danger. Surprising me, she spun around effortlessly and dispatched into the air what looked like a glowing blade. Her aim was true, catching the feline/human squarely in the chest. Unfortunately, it only gained her seconds as the creature let out a howl and pulled the blade free, tossing it to the ground a few feet away. The girl seemed unnerved; she simply turned and continued running. Too late, I realized the creature's plan. It touched down on the ground behind her and before she could react, it scooped her into its arms, preparing to take flight. I pushed myself harder and leaped towards them, catching the girl's foot just as they lifted off the ground, and yanking as hard as I could to bring them both back down to earth.

I overestimated the girl's size and the force of my pull sent her spinning from the creature's arms and onto the ground where she rolled and then laid sprawled out facedown. My rage intensified as the scenario before me brought flashes of the scene in the ballet studio back to my mind. James smirk taunted me, and flashes of Bella's broken and bloody body blurred my vision. Furious, I turned to face the creature, intent on unleashing the full force of my anger on my new victim. Yet of course, it seemed that even in that I was to be thwarted, as the creature was also sprawled on the ground unmoving. I approached cautiously, in case it was some sort of a trap. Bending over the human/feline I saw that it was not a trap at all, and the girl's blade was again buried in its chest. This time it went right through the heart. The creature must have landed on it in the fall and the girl's blade had served its purpose after all. I stood there shaking, fury pumping off me in waves.

Fighting for control, I headed back to the girl, hoping that she was alright. I didn't think I could bear it if she was injured because of me. I slowly bent down next to her and turned her over, all the while being cautious that I wasn't using too much force. She could have had broken bones for all I knew. Once she was on her back, my medical training took over and I began running my hands up and down her limbs as I searched for broken bones. Thankfully, she seemed to be intact. I started to lift her head to check for bumps, stopping short when I looked at her face. She was beautiful, wild fiery hair curled wildly around her face, but somehow seemed to suit her perfectly. She had finely shaped brows and fair, translucent skin. I found myself wondering what colour her eyes were. The rage that had so consumed me earlier began to dissipate; leaving me with a fierce feeling of protection towards this brave girl.

What had she been thinking? She was so small, yet she had faced down that creature with barely a blink. Curiosity mixed with feelings of admiration as I wondered what to do with her. She didn't have any injuries that seemed life-threatening, but there was a golf ball sized bump on the back of her head which meant that it was likely that she would be unconscious for a few hours. I could hardly leave her in an open field to recuperate. My options were limited. With a sigh, I carefully lifted her into my arms and held her close to my chest. She was soft and light and smelled faintly of wildflowers. She barely moved as I ran, but I was still careful not to shift her with my movements. I would have to monitor her and make sure that she didn't have a concussion. For now, it looked like she would be coming home with me.

**Clary POV**

_**Three weeks earlier…**_

You would think that by now I would be used to the free fall through the portal, but I still find that every trip is a new experience. My hands instinctively reached out searching for something to hold on to, but nothing seemed to exist in the blackness but swirling thick fog. My body glided weightlessly, turning and spiraling, giving me the illusion that I was neither falling nor flying, just hovering in the emptiness of the portal land. I prayed that I would land on something soft and dry, but knowing my luck I would either land on a prickly thorn bush or in some sort of smelly parasite infested bog. Clearing those thoughts, I tried to concentrate on my sketches. The whirlwind ride through the portal was the link to my new adventure.

My body came crashing down with a thud. A deep groan escaped my lips. _Yup, that was definitely going to leave a bruise_, I thought as I lifted my head up to look around. And what a view it was. The cloudless crisp blue sky filled the entire heavens. Stunning historic four story high buildings were richly coloured and spread tightly across the picturesque town. Window balconies were draped with clothing set out to dry. The cobblestone roads were jam-packed with people, sidewalk businesses and storefront restaurants. The sensational aromas escaping the little bakeries made me dizzy and lightheaded; my stomach growling in response. Stifling a moan, I slowly got to my feet. After a few minutes of staring in awe around me, I decided to follow my nose and ended up in front of a small quaint bakery. Peering through the window, I noticed a young stocky teen with dark features, standing behind the counter serving a lineup of about 10 people. The customers shouted their orders, speaking in a language I was not familiar with. The older couple in the back worked swiftly to retrieve their orders. The employees seemed to enjoy their jobs, dancing and singing folk songs in which they invited everyone to join in on. Their contagious songs were mimicked, and as the customers left the bakery other bystanders joined in and rejoiced. I felt like I was caught in some musical twilight zone.

I pulled the door open and walked inside, my eyes drawn directly to the items behind the counter, my steps pausing for a moment to inhale the tantalizing _smell_ of fresh-baked goodies and then darting to the boy standing in front of it. When our eyes met his facial expressions rapidly changed. His happy, joyful demeanor was gone in an instant and his eyes nervously danced around the room avoiding my gaze.

"_Buongiorno, che cosa posso ottenere per voi oggi_," the young man said apprehensively through tightly clenched teeth.

I looked at him, not quite sure what to say as my stomach growled. I scanned the room to see what could have triggered his character change but nothing seemed out of sorts. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I noticed a basket on the front counter with samples of bread. My hand instinctively reached out to grab for a piece, and at the same instant, the boy recoiled back pressing his body against the wall, almost defensively. Too hungry to worry about what was happening, I greedily popped a piece of warm bread into my mouth; letting my taste buds explode with the flavours of rosemary, garlic, and butter, all melting across my tongue. It was to die for.

"Mmmm! This is delicious." I groaned. "I wish you could understand me, but I don't speak whatever language that is."

"I speak English," the boy said relaxing his shoulders and moving away from the wall.

"Really, thank god! I know this is going to sound extremely weird but could you tell me where I am?" Everyone stopped what they were doing. As all eyes turned to face me and I felt a blush creep across my face.

"Well Miss, you are in my family's bakery 'De Luca's Tasty Pastries', located in the small town of Pomarance, Tuscany. Does…anything ring a bell?" he raised his eyebrows and shot me a confused look.

"OH MY GOD!" I shouted jumping up and down with glee, "I am in ITALY!!!" "My mom is going to kill me," I said with a laugh.

Thoughts of my family invaded me, pulling me away from this reality. Guiltily, I started thinking back to previous conversations I had had with my mother and how she did what she did to protect me, sheltering me from my Shadowhunter heritage. I was nervous about how she would handle this. Then memories of Simon saddened me, he would be upset with me for leaving and not talking to him first. I worried about how Jace would be feeling once he realized that I had left and I foolishly found myself wondering if he would freak out, being so protective of me, or would he just not care at all? Thoughts of the fairy twit draped across Jace's lap, kissing him, plagued my daydream, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Excuse me miss, is everything ok?" "Can I get you something?" "Are you well?" these questions echoed in my mind bring me back to the present.

Realizing how crazy I must have looked; I nonchalantly stepped back toward the front door.

"Um…Thanks!" I all too quickly said as I raced out the door and down the street.

Running was always one of Luke's favourite types of training; in the beginning I could barely keep up to him and his werewolf speed. I made it to the edge of the long narrow street in mere minutes and was thankful for his preparation. I kept running, dodging people, cars, and mopeds; while absorbing the quaint surroundings. Finally I made it to a clearing and ducked into a nearby alleyway to catch my breath.

My mind and conscience were in a fighting battle. The one side had the understanding that I was acting a bit immature, probably overreacting and blowing this whole situation out of proportion. _Who runs away to Italy?_ I knew I should go back home before anyone even noticed. They probably hadn't missed me yet. The other side fought back with the realization that anyone who had faced what I had been going through for the past year would be in a lot worse shape than I was. Come on, first I find out that I am part of this secret demon hunting society that my mother has been keeping from me, erasing my mind for the past 14 years. Second, I fall head over heels in love with this amazing guy who happens to be my long lost brother, and lastly my best friend in the whole world gets turned into a vampire all because me.If I hadn't introduced Simon to the Shadowhunter world, he would be safe. ** No matter how well I knew that he was adjusted to his vampirism, I still couldn't block the feelings that what had happened to him was entirely my fault.** I broke down into tears. As I reached into my pocket to retrieve my stele, I heard footsteps approaching the opening of the alleyway. I reacted instinctively, ducking into a crouch behind the adjacent dumpster, not wanting to face any more people, hoping that whoever it was would not need to come down the deserted lane.

The sounds of heavy panting and gasps of breath echoed down the alley. Whoever it was, it was someone big. I was never one for patience; the suspense was killing me so I decided to sneak a peek over the top of the dumpster. Being too short to actually see over the bin, I stepped on top of one of the random boxes to get the added height I needed to successfully accomplish my mission. What I saw next should come to no surprise to me, being a Shadowhunter and all. But of course, with this lifestyle still being fairly new to me, the tall, full formed demon with dark blue skin, and frighteningly glowing red eyes, that were fixed on me; made me lose my balance on the cardboard box. The next thing I knew I was sending myself into a humiliating crash down onto the hard ground.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at myself as I braced to spring up in a defensive move. Just as I was about to strike, I paused and focused harder on the demon that was now standing over me and looking a bit different…"Did I surprise you, Shadowhunter?" he said looking more human than demon with normal skin and eyes. In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, he looked exactly like the boy from the bakery. I blinked. _Had I imagined the demon? And how did he know what I was?_

"No…I…umm…the box gave away and uhhh…whatever." I said, rising and slowly circling him. "Anyways, shouldn't I be the one asking questions? Your skin was _blue_, and your eyes were _crimson__!" _

He looked down at himself, and with a cocky smirk spreading across his face said: "I don't know what you're talking about, I think you might have hit your head and now you are a little confused."

"Listen," I said shoving my hand into his chest and pushing him against the brick wall, ignoring the fact that he was a foot taller than me and had an athletic build to rival Jace's. "Don't underestimate me demon, I know what I saw. You really should explain yourself, if you know what's good for you!" I was happy that my voice sounded firm and in control.

His eye's burned crimson again. "You Shadowhunters are all the same!" the boy shouted, his breath hot against my face. "Always wanting to fight and conquer. I thought you might be different, I guess I was wrong." A bluish tint began to creep across his face. "Well, go ahead then, try sending me back to my demonic realm."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, taking a couple steps back. I didn't want this situation to get out of hand.

"Do you take me for a fool, miss? I saw the tattoos on your wrist back at the bakery; I noticed your weapons peering out of your jacket pockets. The Clave sent you, didn't they?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not here to harm you. Okay?" I said reassuringly.

"What are you doing here in Pomarance then, if you not investigating the disappearances?" He questioned.

Funny, I didn't remember my mother or Luke mentioning anything about disappearances in Italy. I was sure the Lightwoods would have let us know if there were any disturbances to worry about. I felt so confused. The look on my face must have displayed my thoughts as he stood there shaking his head with a laugh.

"You're telling me that you just happened to come to my bakery, out of pure chance?" He asked.

_What was this guy hiding? Was he the one responsible for these crimes? _His intrusive behaviour was unsettling but I doubted that he would offer information if he was the perp. I would have to call Isabelle at the first available chance I had, to see what she knew about the missing persons and if there needed to be an investigation. First things first though, it looked like I would have to get to know this demon better to find out what he knew about the happenings in the city.

"You are correct, I am here on a personal matter but the Clave is fully aware of my entrance into the city. They always have their eyes out watching," I said lying through my teeth. I didn't want to leave myself vulnerable for an attack, who knew what this Downworlder was capable of?

"That's a relief! You know how the Clave can be…" he said with a nervous chuckle. His skin changed from dark blue back to a rich golden brown and his dark mysterious eyes retuned in a split second.

To break the uncomfortable silence, I introduced myself as Clary Fray and told him I was from New York. He introduced himself as Milo De Luca and told me that he and his family had lived in Pomarance for the past 16 years. They were the owners of the bakery where they had first met.

"Milo, can I ask you something?" I waited for him to nod. "What kind of demon are you?"

"Well, have you heard of Tarrack Demons or maybe Gri'ah Demons?" he asked.

I blankly stared at him, feeling a bit under educated as I had never heard of any demons by those names. So I simply answered honestly.

"Well to be honest, I'm not your typical Shadowhunter. Actually, I have only really being training for the past six months," I sheepishly said, not looking up to see his facial expression. After a moment, I added, "So to answer your question, no I have not heard of either of those Demons."

"A newbie, well then you're in for a treat, my story is one you wouldn't have learned in Shadowhunting school." I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous assumption. Shadowhunting school? Perhaps he had read Harry Potter one too many times. I smiled as he continued. "There's no instructor or textbook that could explain how I came to be because it is genetically impossible to mix these two species. I'm not supposed to exist, plain and simple."

He started clearing boxes, garbage and general debris. I looked at him but before I could ask him what he was doing, he sat down and patted the spot next to him and asked me to take a seat. He piqued my interest. I wondered what made him so different; I myself was unique and "special", if that's what you want to call what Valentine did to Jace and I.

"This might take awhile," he said with a laugh. "Oh, before we begin, I need to ask you something."

The way his voice trailed on the last word, sent my Shadowhunter senses into overdrive.

"I want you to know that I am no threat to you. I will not hurt you. I don't even know why I am telling you this, but I get this weird vibe from you, like something in the back of my mind reassuring me that I can trust you. Which, I know sounds completely crazy since I only laid eyes on you an hour ago and now here I am about to bare my soul to you. But I do need a favour from you. Whatever you do, please do not repeat this conversation to anyone. I mean no one. If the Clave found out about my existence, they would take me away from my home, cage me up like some horrible animal and I don't even want to think about what kind of tests they would execute. When I told you I wasn't supposed to exist, I wasn't kidding. There has never been another one of my kind in all of history. Can I trust you Clary?"

The sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. I sat there just staring at him, not saying a word. He could trust me but could I trust him? I was still a bit leery and a little apprehensive about trusting this Downworlder but it was true. I too, felt a kind of connection pulling me towards him, but not in a romantic way like I had instantly with Jace. He intrigued me and the temptation to find out more about him was irrefutable. I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled to ease his nervousness. "Milo, you can trust me, I will not tell your secret. I know how it is to have a secret that if found out by the wrong person, could be extremely dangerous."

He sighed and smiled back at me.

"I'll start from the beginning. My father was your typical Tarrack demon, full of rage and resented the world. In appearance they look completely human and in personality they are more of the wanderer type; never settling in one place too long. He left shortly after he seeded my mother, without even an explanation. My mother was a half-breed, half human/half Gri'ah demon. Gri'ah demons were once assassins to some powerful Demon King, but once they betrayed the King, they were sent into exile. Gri'ah demons have dark blue skin and glowing red eyes but they can maintain human appearances. My mother, being a half-breed looked like a human and a demon but when she would get angry or if someone agitated her, the demon blood inside would take over and she would transform into the Gri'ah demon. She was very strong for her petite body and anyone that crossed her was in for a rude awakening. I am a full mix of the two races; I have my father's mundane appearance, as well as his strength and temper. I have my mother's endurance and skin, but I am much more able to control my transformation then she was. As you saw earlier, I have the ability to change forms very quickly."

He continued to discuss more about when his mother found out that she had conceived Milo with a Tarrack demon; she tried to destroy him but was unsuccessful. It was unheard of to mix the two races. He was an abomination and she greatly feared what her child would be capable of, and that he would only cause harm in this world. She had been left with only one option. She had to wait to bear the child and then destroy it. Although when he was born and she laid eyes on him, she knew she could not bring herself to do it. Her intuition told her that he was destined for greatness. Knowing this, she decided the best way to protect him was to give him to her parents, and to then disappear from their lives. If the Clave or any clans discovered his existence, she and her family would be in danger. She faked her own death and disappeared without a trace. He went on to say that his mother was also adopted and his grandparents were unaware of his mother's birth parents. She was found on their door step, one summer morning, with only a single note attached stating what she was, but nothing more than that. He explained that his grandparents raised her like she was their own, and when _his_ own mother put them in that very same situation, they took him in with open arms.

"Growing up as a child I knew that I was different. Normal kids don't turn blue when they have a temper tantrum, but my grandparents helped me function as a normal boy, just as they had with my mother. Raising me was a lot easier since they were more prepared this time around. They helped me control my rage and made me the man I am today. My grandparents are very humble, church going people who have worked for every penny they own. They believe hard work pays off and that everything happens for reasons that only God knows and understands."

He went on further with funny and somewhat embarrassing stories about growing up and the hardships he had encountered. He tried going to school like a normal mundane but was kicked out shortly after for fighting and was then homeschooled by the neighbour across the street from him. He and the neighbour's daughter, Theresa, were schooled together; she was only two years younger than him. I sat there enthralled with his story and was glad to see this side of him. He wasn't as scary as I had first thought. My stomach growled exceptionally louder than usual, breaking his train of thought.

"Thanks for listening; I know it is a lot to absorb. I want to take you back to the bakery to meet my grandparents and also my girlfriend Theresa. I don't know about you but I'm starving." He smiled warmly at me, and I felt the connection snap into place, we were instant friends and I couldn't be happier about it.

"Actually, could you tell me what the delicious bread is that I inhaled from the basket?" I knew I was being rude bringing up food all the time, but I couldn't help myself. It had been hours upon hours since my last meal.

"Oh, that's our homemade "panini di ramerino" or as you say, rosemary buns. You won't find any other bakery with this bread. It's my grandmother's secret recipe and she is not like me, she won't blab," he said with a snort.

Hearing him speak about his grandparents with such affection in his voice caused a wave of homesickness to wash over me.

"Milo, is there a phone at the bakery I could use? I think that I should let someone back home know that I'm still alive," I tried to sound flippant, but I could tell by the sympathetic look he shot me that I had failed in that attempt. He patted my shoulder.

"Of course, _amica_, come on back with me and we will see what we can do," he stood and offered his hand to me, helping me to my feet. As we began the short walk back to the bakery I found myself surprised at the way we had so easily slipped into a quick friendship. He wasn't very different from Simon, with a quick wit and a kind heart. He stopped me occasionally along the way to point out some sights he thought I might find interesting, attaching a memory from his childhood to almost everything we saw along the way.

He pulled the door open for me when we arrived at the bakery, ushering me inside. The little place was just as busy as earlier, and the joyous feeling was still present in the air as all the employees were still singing with the customers joining in. Milo grabbed my hand and lead me behind the counter and as we passed I gazed longingly at the pastries lined up on display, my stomach again growling in reaction.

"Milo! _Caro mio_, who do you have there?" I turned at the sound of a man's voice, in time to see a short, elderly man with thick salt and pepper hair gesturing Milo over to him. A lady appeared at his side, her head barely reaching the top of the man's shoulders. Her gray and white streaked hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and she was wiping her hands on the crisp white apron she wore. Both sets of eyes were trained on us as we headed over to them, and I felt a nervousness wash over me. Milo gave my hand a quick reassuring squeeze before leaving my side to embrace his grandfather in a one armed hug. His grandmother smiled approvingly before turning to me and regarding me with a measuring look.

"Nonno, Nonna, this is my good friend Clary. Clary, these are my grandparents, Nonno and Nonna." Milo made the introductions quickly, making it sound as though we were old friends instead of two people that had known each other less than two hours. Nonno immediately left his wife's side and folded me into a bone crushing hug.

"A pleasure, a pleasure it is to meet you Clary!" Nonna nodded her head in agreement, and the way they accepted Milo's word that I was an old friend was a testament to how much they loved and trusted his word.

"Thank you, it's so nice to meet you both too. Milo's told me so much about you," I replied, I wasn't really lying, I told myself. Milo had given me a lot of details about his family.

"American!" Nonna exclaimed. "How long will you be in the city?" she asked. I panicked. I didn't have much of a cover story prepared, so I was going to have to rely on my improvisation skills.

"Well, I haven't actually determined that yet, it's always been a dream of mine to see Italy. My mom and I decided that this would be the best time for me to travel here and explore, since I'm on a break from school and everything. I'm just going to take it a few weeks at a time and when I've seen all the places I've been dreaming about, I will know it's time to go home." I ended my babble and crossed my fingers hoping that it sounded believable. It was mostly true, who hasn't dreamed of traveling and sightseeing in Italy?

I was relieved when Nonno nodded in agreement. "When I was young, I traveled to Canada and spent three months touring and getting into mischief." Nonna raised her eyebrows at this, and he blushed endearingly. "Not too much mischief and this was of course before I met the love of my life," he finished quickly and cast a sideways look at her, making me giggle at his back peddling. Nonna seemed satisfied with this answer. Milo shook his head, letting out a giggle of his own.

"Clary, where will you be staying while you are in our beautiful city?" Nonna pierced right to the heart of my current problem. Where was I going to stay while I was here?

"Um, well I have some options…" I trailed off as I realized that I really didn't have any options at all. Or any money, or any clothes! I didn't exactly pack a travel bag as I hurtled myself through the portal. My anxiety must have been evident; Nonna took my hand and led me through a swinging door. She led the way to a small staircase, climbing nimbly despite her age.

At the top of the stairs there was a narrow hallway, and two sets of doors. Digging into her pocket, Nonna produced a set of keys, opening the closest door to us. Stepping back, she gestured me inside ahead of her. It was an apartment. Small and cozy, it appeared to be only one bedroom with a kitchen and living room area. Confused, I turned to Nonna.

"You will stay here." She didn't phrase it as a question, it was a statement of fact, and my intuition told me that even if I was in a position to argue, I wouldn't come out the winner. Nonna wasn't a woman who lost an argument. Still, my stubborn nature prevailed and I gave it a try.

"Here? But I couldn't impose on you that way; I don't even know how long I am going to stay!" She shook her head, taking a step closer to me and pointing her finger up into my face. Now I'm not that tall, but Nonna made me look like a giant. She was a few inches shorter than me, but what she lost in height she made up for in presence.

"_Per amor di Dio_! You are Milo's friend, so to us, that makes you family. We take care of family. You will stay here." I heard the sounds of feet behind me and realized that Milo and his grandfather were clambering up the stairs.

"What's going on?" Milo asked as he came through the door, Nonno right on his heels.

"Clary will stay here in your cousin Gianna's old apartment. She needs to be safe with family while she does her sightseeing in the city," Nonna explained it as though it had already been settled. Nonno clapped his hands together and looked delighted, and Milo was beaming at me. Could I really disappoint them? There was no other choice, I had to concede.

"Alright, I will stay, but on one condition. I would like to help out and work in the bakery in exchange," I said firmly, there was going to be no budging me. Nonno and Nonna exchanged glances and a silent conversation happened in seconds.

"_Si_, you can work downstairs. We will be happy to have you," Nonna nodded once and the matter was closed. She showed me around the apartment. It was quite lovely and just the right size for me. Milo's cousin Gianna had some old clothes left behind in the drawers in the bedroom that looked like they might fit. Isabelle was always shoving me into some outfit or another of hers, so if they weren't exactly my size, I wasn't really concerned. After Nonna and Nonno headed back to work, I turned to face Milo. I had one more thing to take care of.

"Milo? Can I use the phone?" I was overly anxious and I was certain that it showed on my face. What I was about to do was not going to be fun for me and I had been weighing my options since I had first asked him about a phone in the alley.

"Sure Clary, you can use the one in the bedroom. I'll give you some privacy." He smiled at me and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the bed and stared at the phone. Dread filled me. This was not a conversation I was looking forward to. I already knew that I was going to be lectured worse than I ever had been. Sighing, I picked up the receiver and began to dial. It rang a few times before someone picked up.

"Hi, Simon. It's me Clary." There was a long pause before he answered and I heard his breath let out in a whoosh.

"Clary! Where are you? The farmhouse? Are you okay? Everyone has been so worried! One minute you're there in the bar and then I turn around and you're nowhere to be found. I've been calling and calling your cell," Simon's exasperated voice reached out through the phone line and pushed me farther and farther into feeling guilty for having left in the first place.

"Slow down Simon! Yes I'm fine, and no I'm not at the farmhouse. You probably won't believe a word I'm going to tell you, but Simon, I'm in Italy." I said it as quickly as I could, but I wasn't prepared for the dead silence that I was met with. A few silent seconds passed and I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming.

"_YOU_'_RE WHERE??? _ Clary, what are you doing in Italy? Have you completely lost your mind? How did you even get there? I know you, and you certainly don't have an emergency money fund large enough to pay for a flight there! Or if you do, you really should have found another way to let me in on the secret!" I could only remember one other time that Simon had yelled at me, it was when he had inadvertently declared his love for me, and couldn't understand my senseless reaction.

"Simon, Simon stop! Please just listen to me. I didn't secretly plan to come here okay? It just sort of well…happened, and then I was here, and I can't very well up and leave now that Milo's grandparents are letting me stay in their apartment. How rude would that be? I-" I didn't finish my sentence as Simon interrupted me in a fury.

"_APARTMENT?? _Who is Milo? You moved to ITALY and didn't even tell me?" I held the phone away from my ear so I wouldn't go deaf from his shouting.

"Of course I didn't _move_ to Italy, stop acting so crazy, Simon and let me explain." Sighing, I started at the beginning, going back to the night at the bar when I caught Jace with that horrid kelpie girl, all the confusion with Sebastian, my tumble through the portal and about Milo and his family. I edited the parts about Milo's identity, staying true to my word to keep his secret. It took a long while to get through the whole story as he kept interrupting, peppering me with questions. When I was finished, I sat back against the headboard, suddenly exhausted.

"Seriously Clary, I can't believe that you are really in Italy without me! It's completely unfair. And that you plan on staying! What am I supposed to tell your mother?" Simon sounded as exhausted as I felt.

"Well about that, I was thinking that you could just tell her that I am actually at the farmhouse, taking some time to myself to work on my art. She would flip out if she knew that I was here," I said calmly, I had to make sure that he saw things my way.

"Lie? You want me to lie to _your_ _mother_? Now I know that you've lost it! She's a Shadowhunter, I can't lie to her. I just can't do it, and that's final." I smiled, I could picture him in my mind pacing around and running his fingers through his hair.

"Simon, you are one of the Night Children now. A vampire, for goodness sake; and you're telling me that you're too afraid to lie to my _mother_? Oh well, I guess I will have to rely on Jace after all." I bit back a giggle; I knew it was just what I had to say to convince him to do what I wanted.

"Afraid? Who said I was afraid? You do not have to rely on Jace over me!" He shouted into the phone. Success was in my reach, I could feel it, and I didn't have to wait long for him to give in.

"Fine, I will do it, but only because you are my best friend. Remember this moment, because when I ask you for the biggest favour of your life, I better not hear any complaints from you Fray." Simon tried his best to make his voice sound menacing but his effort was lost on me. I didn't let him know that of course.

"Thank you Simon! I don't know what I would do without you. I-" He surprised me by cutting me off.

"Don't thank me yet, I'm not done. I want you to promise me that if there is any trouble, anything at all that you will call me for help immediately. Clary, if anything happens to you while you're there, I will never forgive you. Even if you don't call me, call Magnus or Luke or someone okay? Promise me!" The worry was evident in his voice and the easiness I had been feeling slipped away and was replaced by guilt snapping by in place.

"Okay okay, I promise. Please don't worry, I really am fine. I'm sorry but I have to go, love you!" I quickly ended the conversation, realizing that I was using Milo's phone.

"Love you too, Fray. Be careful." When the connection broke, I felt a mixture of sadness and relief. Still, I knew that contacting someone at home was the right thing to do. After a few minutes, I pushed myself up off the bed and headed back downstairs to begin the next part of my adventure.

The next three weeks passed in a blur, between learning the ropes at the bakery, sightseeing with Milo, and trying to find some alone time to keep up with my training. Everyone at the bakery had welcomed me with open arms. They spent time showing me around, and helped me learn how to make the delicious pastries. Nonna complained that I was far too skinny and made it her life's mission to fatten me up, feeding me meal after marvelous meal. Milo and I continued to grow closer as friends, and he did eventually introduce me to Theresa, a beautiful brunette. She was kind and polite, but I could sense her skepticism about my presence in Milo's life.

It was a bit of a struggle to find the time to break away to train, but I managed. The last thing I wanted was the vigorous training that I had done with Luke to go to waste. I had found a clearing not far outside the city, and it had served as the perfect place for me to practice my skills. As I was heading there through the city on a sunny morning, I was met with a shock. There was a strange sound coming from the sky, and for some reason it had my senses tingling. Glancing up, I couldn't see anything, so shrugging it off, I continued on my way. It was very early, with few locals moving about the streets. I had found that it was the only way that I could leave the house without being stopped by Milo's grandparents and bombarded with questions or suggestions of where I should spend my time.

When I was just at the edge of the city, I again heard the sound, but only much louder this time. I stopped and looked up into the sky again, and my mouth fell open at what I saw. It was a ShiShi demon, flying over top of the city. I had learned about it in my training, but had never seen one. _What was it doing here, in Italy?_ It was definitely circling the city that much was clear. I spent a few seconds blinking before springing into action. There was no way that I could let it land in the city and carry out whatever plan it had. Whistling loudly, I waited until it spotted me and then took off running, sending a silent prayer to Luke and my mother and even Jace for pushing me to train harder all those weeks.

I could hear the flapping of the demon's wings and knew that it was following me. On and on I ran until I reached the clearing, and quickly made a beeline for the trees. I thought I heard shouting in the distance, but I didn't slow down to investigate. I relied on my senses, and when I felt it was the right time, I skidded to a stop, jumping up and executing a flawless spin in the air that would have made any Shadowhunter proud, Jace included. Drawing my seraph blade from my pocket, I took aim and launched it at the demon. I did a silent cheer as the blade buried itself in the demon's chest. I planted my feet, ready to take it on when it hit the ground, but that wasn't to be the case as it simply pulled the blade free and tossed it carelessly to the side.

"Damn," I muttered as I turned and took off running again. I had to get this thing into the cover of the trees. Unfortunately, having a seraph blade stab it in the chest must be what really sets these things off, as it picked up speed and caught me in no time. It wrapped its arms around me and with a flutter of its wings, took off into the air. I had a second to let out a frightened scream before I felt something cold and strong wrap around my foot, and with a surge of strength pull me back to the ground. The earth rushed up to meet me and I hit with a thud; pain searing through my head as I landed. I rolled a few times before stopping; every part of my body feeling like it was on fire. I lifted my head to see what had happened, but all I could make out was the shadow of a man coming towards me. I knew I had to try to get up but my body protested any movement at all, I managed to raise my head an inch, and then the blackness claimed me.

**A/N: Whew that was a long one! Please review and let us know what you think! We love hearing from everyone. Thanks for reading :)**

**Ari and B**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! We are so so sorry for the absurdly late update! Life has been extremely busy, school is finally finished, we got full time jobs, (yay us!) and there's new males occupying most of our free time, lol. Time flies and here we are three months later. We really struggled with this chapter. We could have gone a couple different ways and after several rough drafts and lots of tequila, we decided to go with this version. Thanks for those who have stuck by us, reviewed, and added ED to their fave's and alerts. **

**We would like to thank Meg, one of the reviewers, for kicking our asses into gear! We hate when people don't update in a timely manner. So here you go Meg, this is for you. Enjoy!**

**As always, thanks to our beta for helping us through our hiatus and tequila consumption. **

**D/C: All rights are owned by both Cassie Clare and Steph Meyer. We just like to play with their characters and see what we can get them to do.**

**Clary POV**

As soon as my mind processed what he was, the word escaped through my lips, signifying the truth. Part of me wanted him to deny it, to have him call me crazy, whatever it took to make it not my reality, but he didn't. I instinctively checked for puncture wounds, my hand franticly went all over my entire body searching for marks but none were found. His face dropped, almost as if he was ashamed. Seeing that he wasn't here to kill me, or transform me into one of the Night Children, I began to calm my nerves; desperately trying to figure out how I had ended up here. He was distracting me, just staring, if I hadn't seen him move earlier he could have passed for a statue. I didn't even know if I was still in Italy. Maybe I had ended up in another portal. I was mad at myself for being so irresponsible...first I was off running when the stupid ShiShi demon came out of nowhere, and…as soon as the thought crossed my mind I realized that I was beginning to remember, but only in short bursts. The flashes were all jumbled, but more memories were starting to come back. I saw him. He was there. Why was he there? I went towards the window, in hopes that I would recognize something, anything that could trigger a clearer memory. What happened to the ShiShi demon? I couldn't let that thing loose, causing havoc and chaos on the town. It was so frustrating. Still, all the images were of him, he had shouted something, interrupting my hunt. Maybe they were in league together, maybe this was the demon's plans all along. Shadowhunters were rare; there weren't too many young ones out there. I started to get the feeling it was time to get the heck out of there before something bad happened. I turned my gaze towards the door and then to the window, trying to figure out the fastest, safest way to leave the room without causing too big of a scene. I looked around to see if there were any weapons or even anything I could use as a make shift weapon, but nothing was close enough to make a difference.

Without thinking, my body lunged towards the door, praying that my Shadowhunter speed would not let me down. But he anticipated my move and since his speed was much faster, he made it to the door seconds before me. I stood there paralyzed, watching him block the exit, trying to strategize my next move. His beauty was mesmerizing and his sugary sweet scent was intoxicating, pulling me into his trance. My mind raced, I should be coming up with an alternate escape but the power he possessed had captured me, holding me hostage. He pinned me against the door, so that his body was hovering just inches in front of me, then he leaned in and inhaled deeply. I closed my eyes. My heart was pounding rapidly; it felt like my ribcage was going to burst open with every hammering beat. I felt dizzy and lightheaded, drunk on his alluring scent and vampire charm. His one hand caressed the length of my cheek tenderly and I shivered under the coolness of his skin. I couldn't stop myself from enjoying his touch, craving more. I sighed as I tilted my head to the side, willingly exposing my neck to him, knowing it was completely wrong but helpless to his desire. His growl shook through me, awakening me from my trance and allowing fear to wash over me.

"That's right little girl you should fear me." He said through gritted teeth.

I couldn't think of anything to say, my eyes were fixed on him. He took another deep breath and this time as he breathed in my scent he opened his mouth showcasing his glistening teeth. I swallowed hard. Before I could react, he whipped open the door and shoved me out, causing me to stumble into the hallway, dumbfounded. His voice echoed around me.

"Stay away and never come back, next time I won't be so nice."

I made it out of the apartment and down the street in lightening speed. I was relieved to see some familiar places, but I still needed to figure out what was going on in this town. First ShiShi demons, sexy vampires, even my friend Milo. How many more demons were roaming around? Maybe Italy was the breeding grounds for Downworlder's. I wished I had paid more attention to Luke and my mother when they talked about the last uproar. I just needed to find the key to unlock this mystery. When I felt far enough away, and sensed that the vampire hadn't followed me, I began to slow my pace and tried to blend in with the other mundies. Questions were running through my mind. I wondered who the vampire was. Why was I in his apartment? How long had I been there? One key element that slipped my mind until that very moment was the fact it was mid morning. Was he special like Simon? Could he be a Day Walker too? Why didn't he drink from me, especially since I practically gave him the all clear? How did he resist? I still could not believe how stupid I was for letting that vampire affect me the way he did. I could have been killed, and then how would my family have felt? Especially Simon. He would never forgive himself for going along with my plan. I thought about Jace, he was so strong; no Downworlder would ever get the upper hand on him. He was an excellent Shadowhunter, with all the right intuitions, where as I had failed horribly and this last time could have cost me my life. I didn't want to give up, I needed to find out what was happening in Italy, and I needed to do it fast. I was going to take my encounter with the vampire as a learning experience; I would need to be more careful and cautious of my surroundings. Maybe it would be better to travel in pairs. I could take Milo out with me when I was investigating. I made it back to the bakery before anyone was up and about for the day. I decided against telling Milo about the vampire. I didn't want him to go out looking for him, I didn't know what I would do if he got hurt because of me.

-----

**Back in New York**

**Jace POV**

"Geez Jace, would ya ease up! We're supposed to be training not starting a war," Alec whined as he rubbed his left shoulder. I really had hit him a little hard. I couldn't keep my emotions separate from my day to day activities. I hadn't taken into consideration the affect of Clary leaving me would have on my performance. It had been a month since I had talked to her, I missed hearing her voice. That night, at the Fiery Lizard played over and over in my mind. I knew her absence was my fault, parading that fairy whore around. All I had wanted was for Clary to know that I had moved on, so that she could do the same. I wanted her to be happy and I thought that what I had done was the best way to show her. We were doing so well, talking on the phone; however I missed seeing her smile. I thought if we could be around each other, maybe things could go back to some sort of normalcy. When I finally saw her after so long, the feelings I had tried so hard to bury resurfaced, causing me to act primal and possessive. I snapped. Jealously took over and I couldn't handle it. Everything seemed so unfair; we had found each other and things started making sense. I finally felt complete. I sighed, life was so unfair. I had to accept that she was my sister, and I was living my worst nightmare.

"Sorry Alec, I must have zoned out for a moment." I smiled at him, knowing that he would forgive me. "I think we've had enough, let's break for today and we can start back first thing tomorrow."

Alec nodded, while nursing his shoulder. "Yeah, you're right; I should probably ice this before it swells."

"Later." I yelled.

"Yeah, see ya later." Alec called out as he walked the opposite direction towards the institute.

I had lost track of time. I was supposed to meet the Informant in 20 minutes, I had to move quickly. I used my invisibility glamour to help me move swiftly and undetected towards Times Square, our very public meeting spot. He still didn't trust me, but I had to admit, if I were him and did the things he did, I would be wary of meeting any Shadowhunter, especially one with my reputation. I needed answers.

There was something in the way the bloodsucker said that Clary was at Jocelyn's farmhouse, that made me questions his credibility. Something didn't feel right, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger. I was left with no option but to go to the farmhouse to look for myself. I was cautious and careful not to disturb her. I just wanted to see her face, make sure she was okay and then I would leave without a trace. When I got there, the place was stale and dust covered, looking more like no one had been there in years, let alone a few weeks. For some reason, Clary wanted to keep her whereabouts hidden. Why the secrets? I wondered. I thought about torturing Simon until he squealed like a pig, but I knew Clary would not be happy with me, I was in enough shit.

It was simple; I would find her using other resources, I was already going to hell for the thoughts that raced through my head about Clary and me; what did it matter if I used the very thing I hunted and destroyed to help track her down.

**Edward POV**

Four hours. She had been unconscious for four hours. Not long enough for me to be extremely alarmed, but still long enough that I was starting to become concerned. She had barely moved while she slept, lying on her back with her arms tucked under the blankets, looking more like a contented child having an afternoon nap rather than a brave girl that had just faced down a demon with barely the blink of an eye. She was a mystery to me. The more I watched over her, the more I found myself wanting to know more about her. I replayed the entire scene in the forest in my mind countless times, and each time I realized that there was far more to her than I had first thought. She wasn't just an innocent girl out for a morning jog. The leap into the air that she executed when she threw her blade at the creature hadn't just been any kind of jump. It had been skilled. Flawless even. Perhaps even professional. There had been no surprise anywhere on her features when she had spotted the demon; it was almost as if she had been prepared for such an occurrence. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Who was this girl? I wished desperately for Carlisle and the expertise that he would surely bring to this situation, but I was determined not to involve him. I had been a burden on my family for far too long since Bella's death. I knew that this was something that I needed to see through to the end on my own. This girl was part of the mystery of what was going on around here, I could feel it.

It had been pitifully easy to get her back to my apartment unnoticed. I had carried her in my arms, trying to be extra careful not to bruise her anymore than she already was. Running her back to my home hadn't been a problem at all; she was light as a feather, even lighter than Bella had been. My only concern had been carrying her into my building. The locals might be trusting souls, but with everything that had been happening in the city the last few weeks, no one could have blamed them if they were suspicious about me carrying an unconscious female into my apartment. Fortunately, there was no one in the street when I sped by, and since there had been no knocks on my door from the _polizia_, I had to assume that none of the neighbours had spotted us from the windows either. Trusting souls or not, it was no secret that none of these humans were above peeping out the windows to ensure that they kept up to date on all events happening in the area. Normally, it amused me to observe their antics, but today it was a niggling worry in the back of my mind.

Pacing to the window, I ran through several different scenarios in my head of what I was going to tell her when she awoke. She would no doubt have questions about me, and I was determined to get answers about her. If she was anything like other humans, she would want a little give and take, which meant that I would have to decide how much I could trust her, and if trusting her would be enough for me to share my secrets with her. Turning from the window, I continued to study her. So far, keeping my distance from her hadn't been an issue since I had fed earlier that day, yet I continued to be cautious to ensure her safety. She was in the room with a dangerous predator after all.

Just as I had made the decision to wake her and make sure she didn't have a concussion, she began to stir. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she brought a hand up to brush at the hair on her forehead. I quickly backed away from the window, letting the curtains fall back into place and plunging the room into darkness. I retreated into the corner of the room, not wanting to startle her. With another moan, she slowly blinked her eyes open. I held myself extremely still, giving her time to adjust to her surroundings. She sat up cautiously, grimacing and pinching the bridge of her nose. She must have been in incredible pain, and disoriented on top of that. Indecision plagued me, show myself or let her discover me on her own? The last thing I wanted to do was frighten her, so I kept still, giving her more time to shake off the haze of sleep. I knew the moment that she spotted me; her entire body froze, each limb locking silently into place, her startling green eyes going wide with surprise and then terror. After several minutes of us staring at each other, she seemed to relax and I noticed that she was even beginning to smile at me. Smile? At a stranger? Did this girl have no sense at all? First she chases after an unknown creature that clearly wanted to harm her, and now she _smiles_ at a stranger she wakes up to find staring at her? Her actions were inconceivable; I couldn't help but return her smile with one of my own. My face seemed to protest the action; it had been months since I'd had any reason to smile at all. Unfortunately, her senselessness seemed to be contagious and I let my mouth widen, flashing my razor sharp teeth for a split second before realizing what I'd done. A second was all it took.

I heard her sharp intake of breath, watched the smile fall from her face. "Vampire," she whispered, her voice sounding like drums in my ear. _Vampire_? Had she just said vampire? She couldn't have. I had spent years upon years walking among humans and only a very few had ever begun to suspect what I was. Even then, it took months before those thoughts started to surface. How could she have guessed in a matter of minutes? It was impossible.

"Fuck me," I breathed, too quiet and fast for her ears to hear. This day was getting more ridiculous by the second. I stared hard at her trying to pry into her thoughts and find out how she could have known what I was. Silence. I couldn't hear any of her thoughts at all. What was happening? Was there something wrong with me? Bella was the only human whose thoughts I hadn't been able to hear. Now this girl comes along and it was the same thing all over again. I shook my head, watching her run her hands over herself, seemingly checking for wounds or ha, bite marks from me. It was unbelievable. To my amazement, once she had completed her inventory of herself, she got up from the bed and wandered over to the window to gaze outside. It was though she had deemed me harmless. Harmless! Did she know what a vampire actually was? Perhaps she needed reminding.

While I was still inwardly ranting to myself, she suddenly turned from the window and sprinted towards the door. Had I not been watching her so intently, she may have caught me off guard and made it out of the room, so fast did she move. I barely made it to the door before her, blocking her path of escape. Her scent slammed into me, pulling me involuntarily towards her. She was so intoxicating that I momentarily forgot myself, grabbing her and spinning her so that I pinned her against the door. I leaned into her neck and inhaled, letting the freshness of her scent surround me. My body took on a life of its own and before I knew it, my hand was caressing her cheek. She let out a barely audible sigh, closed her eyes and tilted her neck, offering me easy access. The need grew in me, and I realized it wasn't only a need to feed. I wanted to caress, explore, and possess her. She was brave yet innocent, smart yet stunningly naïve. The desire to have more of her was overwhelming, maybe I could just—with a growl I cut myself off, pushing away from her. I couldn't believe where my thoughts were headed. I had never acted like this before, not even when I first met Bella, and was overcome with thirst. Her eyes, glazed over from desire, lust I didn't know which, sprang open and I watched the fear return. I detested myself even more than I thought possible.

"That's right little girl, you should fear me." I spat out through gritted teeth.

She was as still as a statue, a deer caught in the headlights. Her scent assaulted my senses again, this time causing me to bare my teeth. I spun her away from me and whipped open the door all in one quick movement. I was being unnecessarily rough, but I didn't care, I had to get her away from me before something happened that I couldn't take back. In one quick shove I had her out in the hall, stumbling over her feet as they tangled up in themselves. She looked up at me, dumbfounded, her green eyes searching mine.

"Stay away, never come back. Next time I won't be so nice." I put everything I had into the warning, my expression fierce and blank. She had to know that I was dangerous. It worked; she turned and sprinted from the apartment, red curls flying out behind her as she fled. I listened as the front door opened and slammed shut again, signaling her departure. I closed my eyes, sighed, and tried to tell myself that my behavior had been acceptable, it really was the right thing to do. The best thing I could have done for her, I was saving her life. Anyone that was too deeply involved with me always suffered the consequences. Whatever part she played in the mystery that was clouding Italy, had to be insignificant. How much could she possibly be involved? I repeated the thoughts over and over to myself, trying to make myself believe the lies. I wasn't having much success; my gut still told me that she was more tangled up in the mess than I wanted to admit. I had to resist the urge to chase the girl down and demand to know what she knew and who she was.

Aggravated with myself and the entire situation, I childishly stomped around the room, my booming footsteps shaking the walls and reverberating out into the street. I could hear several concerned thoughts about earthquakes and locations of fault lines from the locals below from the racket I was making. More than one _cos'e questa cosa's! _and several _non lo so's! _floated through my mind, but I couldn't seem to put a stop to my rant. I was acting recklessly and I knew it, but on I continued all through the apartment. I was breaking rules and I didn't care. Never before had I purposely called so much attention to myself. I was sticking my tongue out at fate, saying na na na na at the bad hand of cards it had dealt me over the past few months. After all that had happened, I was entitled to a little foolishness.

I lost track of how long I kept up my temper tantrum, it wasn't until I caught a glance of my reflection in a picture hanging on the living room wall that I was able to stop. My tongue actually was hanging out of my mouth, and not in a _I'm-a-scary-vampire_ kind of way. It was more of a _I'm-the-vampire-that's-lost-his-mind_ kind of way, my hair was sticking up in haphazard directions, which wasn't unusual for me, but paired with the crazed look in my eye, it definitely wasn't helping the situation. What had that girl done to me? I was acting like a 3 year old child rather than the fearsome immortal vampire that I was.

It was the icing on the cake. Since I had chosen that moment to turn into a stark raving mad lunatic, there was only one more reckless thing left for me to do. Raking a hand across my face, I sighed loudly. Despite my procrastination, it was time to face the Volturi.

I made my way to the bedroom that was serving as my makeshift office, and hurriedly gathered up the newspaper articles, pictures and stolen police reports and all other pertinent information that I had managed to collect on the disappearances to bring with me as evidence to support my cause. It was wise not to seem unprepared when I presented myself to Aro and his followers. Though I had yet to meet him in person, his reputation was far reaching in the vampire world. Carlisle had spoken of him on many occasions, and I was not unaware of the way he conducted his business or showed his displeasure. Reports of the torturous acts he had his henchmen, Felix, Demetri, Alec, and Jane carry out for him were infamous among our people. With them the rules were simple, follow the rules of the Volturi and you would never have trouble. If you broke the rules and they found out about it, the entire game changed and a visit from them was inevitable.

When I had everything I needed, I left the apartment, locking the door behind me. I knew exactly where the Volturi's underground location was, but rather than using my super speed, I chose a more leisurely pace. There was some lingering chaos in the city, compliments of my earlier antics, and I was treated to more than one curious look as I passed by. Walking at a human pace gave me a chance to mingle with the crowds and listen to their thoughts. There was no helpful information about the missing teenagers; most were occupied with excited re-telling of the events from earlier.

It didn't take me long at all to reach the alley that housed the hole that would drop me into what the Volturi called home. I sped down the alley and deftly lifted the grate and slipped unseen into the hole. It was a short drop and I was on the ground again, sheathed in darkness. The tunnel before me spoke loudly of the Volturi's wealth and privilege. They considered themselves at the top of the hierarchy, and the décor was no exception. Heavy wood and brass doors were adorned in gold, the air stale and cold. At the end of the hall was a ridiculous reception desk, a dark-skinned, professionally dressed human female standing guard behind it. Her eyes widened when she spotted me.

"May I help you with something?" she asked, her glance darting behind me as if she expected to see someone else pop out of the darkness and surprise her.

"You may. I require an audience with Aro," I answered, my tone leaving no room for argument. The fact that she was in residence at all spoke of her senselessness. A human serving vampires? She was clearly dim-witted. They would only make a meal of her when they grew bored of her services. I couldn't even summon pity for her.

"Aro? I don't believe he was expecting you, Mr--?" she raised her eyebrows in inquiry of my name.

"Cullen. Edward Cullen." I replied curtly. Her eyes were saucers now. Poker clearly wasn't her game, as she wasn't able to keep the fact that she had heard my name before a secret. She wasn't given time to answer, unbeknownst to her, a door had opened down the hall and in seconds we were going to have company.

I grinned at her, causing her to blush, and then simply turned and walked a few feet to greet the other vampires waiting for me.

Felix and Demetri were standing sentry in the hall, their expressions smug. Neither bothered speaking to me, they silently lead the way through the tunnel, Felix occasionally hunching to fit his large frame under lower parts of the ceiling. His size reminded me of Emmett, causing me to smile to myself. Emmett would love to go head to head with him, just for the sport of it.

At the end of the hall we came to a large ivory door with gold knockers. After a swift knock, Demetri pushed the door open and allowed me to enter before him. I spared a quick walk through their thoughts and decided that entering first would not cause me any harm.

Aro was the first thing I saw in the large ceremonial room. Although it was my first meeting with him and he wasn't alone, I didn't need an introduction to know who he was. He stood in the dead center of the room, his long black cloak covering him from head to toe.

A smile broke across his face and he lifted his arms out from his sides.

"Welcome Edward. We've been expecting you."

**A/N: Review and let us know what you think. Encouragement is much appreciated. We don't want to make any promises we can't keep, so hopefully it won't take us this long to update with the next chapter! Again, thanks for stopping by. **

**On a side note, not sure how if everyone is as obsessed with The Mortal Instruments as we are, but Cassie had a huge book signing on Saturday August 22 in NYC and announced that she will be adding another book to the series, and it's going to be Simon's story! It won't be out until 2012 and we can't wait we're so excited! If you haven't had a chance to meet her in person, she is an amazingly awesome, down to earth person. Definitely, if you have the opportunity, go and see her, totally worth the wait in line. **

**Well we are off to have some fun with the boys. See ya next time!**

Ari and B  
xo

****Note from Brooke**  
I just wanted to send an extra special super fantastic shout out to Ari as today is her Birthday! She's spectacular and I'm so happy we got our butts into gear in time for us to post this on such a super day! I'm sure she'd love some reviews as a birthday present…just saying lol. Have a great one Ari, save room for the birthday margaritas later tonight—love ya lots bitch! **

**--B xoxo**


End file.
